Restaurant tips....

Many of my friends now practically live on the road for work and they have been asking me what items you can order to stay on the healthier (and hopefully leaner) side when work travel gets in the way of a home cooked meal.

Salads seem like a good bet but usually they are loaded with dressing and cheese - two items which, in the portions served, are to much fat. Look for a salad that has vegetables and beans on it. You can have some cheese like a feta or goat but you really don't want to much (1 tablespoon is plenty) and definitely very little dressing or dressing on the side. As far as low fat/low calorie etc type dressings, I usually just opt for oil & vinegar or I get a full fat vinegrette. A low fat product has more sugar added to it and a low sugar product has more fat added to it. I would rather just have a really good, fresh, homemade house vinegrette and not worry about the fat/calorie content if I am going that route instead of the added sugar from its low fat cousin.

If the explanation or title of the item contains anyone of the following descriptive words forget you even noticed it on the menu: loaded, fried, pan-fried, double stuffed, twice baked, oozing, crispy, cream, butter poached, sugar glazed, rich. All of these are mean fat, fat and more fat. Better options would be poached, steamed, grilled, broiled, dusted, earthy.

Saute is a tricky one. It consists of cooking something over a good amount of heat using fat to keep the item from burning. Usually, this is a also a code word for "will be greasy" unless you saute something yourself and have control over the volume of oil/butter.

Chicken too, has a tendency to dry out during cooking and so some places may put butter or oil on it while cooking to help preserve juiciness, so you think you are getting a healthy baked chicken item or rotisserie (think = high salt) which in fact may have been doused in butter prior to cooking.

Your best bets really are a piece of grilled fish or poached fish or even a steak. While beef gets a bad rap for being fatty, usually a good cut (think sirloin, NY Strip, or fillet Mignon) has great flavor on its own and is not adulterated by anything more then salt and pepper. The fattier the fish is (salmon, mackerel, tuna, sea bass, swordfish) the less worried the restaurant is about the fish drying out during cooking and thus the less fat they add during the cooking process. This is not only healthier but actually lets the true flavor of the fish shine though and the fatty fish have great health attributes.

Broth soups are always a great idea especially if you aren't really that hungry. They can be supplemented with some cocktail shrimp, grilled calamari, pickled vegetables, tuna tartar, beef carpaccio, or antipasto plate.

For sides get baked potato plain or sweet potato plain. If they have steamed vegetables get that. Rice is fine as well or a rice and beans mix. Side salad (greens not Caesar) is harmless unless you cover it with dressing. Roasted Fingerling potatoes or vegetables are also a fine choice but the have to be roasted tossed in olive oil (which is a good fat and OK) so don't be alarmed with they come and are shiny with oil (however, there should be no discernible puddles of oil on your plate).

GOOD LUCK!

Airplane snacks....

As we all dream about vacations to sunny, warm places amidst these constant snow storms, one has to wonder about the quality of the snacks provided on commercial airlines. Gone are the days when a whole meal was served.Does anyone remember those days except for me?? The smilie face pancakes for breakfast or a piece of chicken with mushy vegetables at any other hour of day? Big Lar claims that he remembers when they served fillet Mignon for dinner with real steak knives, I think he exaggerates but maybe not.

Today, you are lucky if they give you a 1oz package of pretzels or peanuts, though most airlines have banned the peanuts due to customer complaints regarding peanut allergies (FYI, talk to any allergist - no person can die from smelling peanuts - but that is a whole different blog discussion). Continental will still give you a tiny sandwich on many of their contiguous US state flights but they are the anomalie. I have listed below some of the major airlines and the snacks provided in coach class:

JetBlue: organic cookies or Terra Blue chips
Delta: Biscoff cookies, pretzels, peanuts
Midwest Express: chocolate chip cookies - which they BAKE ON BOARD!!!!
Continental: dinner roll with slice of turkey and lettuce (flight length dependant) or pretzels
US Air: nothing
American: (last time i flew them they gave nothing but that has been almost 2 years now)
AirTran: pretzels

So what should you pick? Well first off, I would not pick an airline based on snacks - just throwing that one out there. Secondly, choosing the snack all depends on your goals and/or how your body deals with traveling. If you are someone who gets very dehydrated and subsequently bloated, eating the salty pretzels or peanuts would not be in your best interest. If you are someone with diabetes or are watching your weight, then the cookies would not be the best option for you. Your best bet really is to pack a snack from home like a piece of fruit or some dried fruit with your own unsalted nuts or cereal. Bring a peanut butter & jelly sandwich or a deli meat & veggie sandwich or a veggie & hummos sandwich if you will be flying over a meal time (assemble them at home peanut butter, jelly and hummos count in that liquid/gel category and can't be taken through security unless you transport them in a 3oz or less jar). Bringing a snack from home is better on your wallet (who really pays $7 for a crappy airport sandwich anyway!) and is better on your body. Most of the sandwiches at the grab & go in the airport terminals are loaded with sodium and fat (yes even the "healthy" hummos wraps!!!). More sodium = more dehydration and more bloating = more discomfort = less fun! Always ask for water to drink when the beverage cart comes around. Sodas (regular) are an unnecessary source of calories (120 of them to be exact), so are juices (they are full of added sugar) and both regular soda and diet soda are dehydrating due to the carbonation and sometimes also the caffeine as well, which is not helping your 'trying not to bloat' cause.

Traveling is difficult enough - make it easier to recover by bringing your own food that you are used to eating and that your body is used to processing. Drink lots of water and try to get some sleep on the flight, and then ENJOY YOUR VACATION!!!

Cuchi Cuchi - Cuuuu

Saturday night I ventured to Cambridge. I crossed the Charles River, crossed Mass Ave and ventured down a small street (with ample parking, something totally unheard of in Boston!) to a small, packed Eurostyle Bistro called Cuchi Cuchi. The menu includes items from across Eurasia and a few specialties from South America.

The drink menu is large with many fancy cocktails and some old fashion, old world favorites. I am not a fan of mixing and matching liquors so I settled for a charming glass of Poema Cava. We settled at a cozy corner table by the window, an ideal situation for four girls celebrating a birthday and wanting space to gossip and reminisce.

The waitresses are dressed in fun, alluring costumes. Ours recommended that since the items are all served under the 'small plates' theme we should each order 2 items - a challenge we gladly accepted.
We started with potato croquettes, which came with an Alfredo dipping sauce and a spicy tomato sauce; St. Jacobs Zucchini, fried zucchini with manchego and serrano ham; and Caspian Heaven, crispy oysters with salmon roe and creme fraiche with champagne sauce. Then we moved to Bracciolette; and a Cuban cigar, braised short ribs wrapped in dough with a delightful black bean salad. We ended our journey with mushroom risotto drizzled with truffle oil, beef stroganoff and a skirt steak with a mouth watering chimichuri. Dessert plates were bigger then the dinner plates. The banana bread was by far the favorite. It was french toast with caramelized bananas, rich vanilla ice cream and fresh whipped cream drizzled with caramel (or in my case chocolate sauce!). We also ordered a mango cheesecake with almond crust and a chocolate cake which was came warm and was richer then any decedent brownie I have EVER tasted!

All in all, I thought the atmosphere at Cuchi Cuchi was great and definitely made it a place you have to experience. The food is well done but slightly overpriced. You could get comparable quality or even better flavor at a place that is not trying to be so eclectic in its offerings. But, for a fabulous night out with the ladies this is the place to be, and definitely go later in the night around 9-10pm to truly feel like you are in eastern Europe!

Mini..

Most people make their new year's resolution to a be a mini-er version of them self. Start with exercise and end with a mini-er dinner. Try these mini sized chicken (or turkey or vegetarian) pot pies! You will need 4 each 8-10oz ramekins (custard cups).

1 1/2 cups frozen mix of peas, carrots and corn (add broccoli too if you would like!)
1 cup chicken, cubed (use left over if you have it)
1 cup fat free milk
1/2 cup fat free evaporated milk
2/3 cup instant potatoes (or left over mashed potatoes or baked potatoes)
1/2 teaspoon dried time
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried sage
salt and pepper
1 package Pillsbury crescent dough or 1 recipe biscuit dough from strawberry shortcake recipe in previous post
1 egg
1 tablespoon water

1. Heat oven to 400
2. In a 2 quart pan heat chicken, herbs, milks, potatoes, and vegetables. Season with salt and pepper. Cook about 5-10 minutes - stirring frequently so ingredients don't burn to bottom of the pan. You want the potatoes to start to thicken the mixture.
3. Divide mixture between ramekins. Top with a section of crescent roll dough or a cut out of biscuit dough.
4. Whisk together egg and water - brush over tops of dough.
5. Place all ramekins on a baking sheet (in case some of the filling bubbles over!) place baking sheet in oven - cook about 12 minutes or until dough is lightly browned.
ENJOY!!!
***recipe could be made vegetarian by using navy and cannelini beans instead of chicken/turkey

Chicken with Apricots

A good, heavy ceramic pot with lid is ideal for this recipe but if you don't have one, you can use a thick bottomed, oven safe (read: no rubber handles) stock/sauce pot with lid.

Serves 4

4 chicken leg quarters, drumstick separated from thigh, skin on
1 cup arborio (risotto) rice
6 apricots, sliced
6 prunes, sliced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
2 cups chicken broth
1 shallot, sliced
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt & ground black pepper

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees
2. Heat oil in pan over medium heat. When oil is hot (but not smoking) add chicken pieces skin side down. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Let brown - about 6 minutes, then flip and cook another 3-4 minutes.
3. Add garlic, shallot and herbs. Let saute with chicken about 4-5 minutes until fragrant and soft.
4. Add dried fruit and rice. Stir for about 1 minute to let rice 'toast' a bit in bottom of pan. Then add chicken broth. Stir. Cover, and move pan to oven. Cook about 25 minutes (until rice is done).

ENJOY with a greens or Caesar salad! Chicken skin can be removed when serving - but it adds good flavor during the cooking process so leave it intact.

Party on your plate

This is a different take on salsa, but since it is a different year, why not a different take on an old party staple. The pineapple adds a fantastic sweetness especially if the pineapple is fresh and ripe! The macadamia nuts add a nice richness without having to add an additional fat like oil or a high fat dairy. Together they go really well on a slightly salty chip like the Stacey's Pita Chips. This makes about 1 pint (2 cups)

1/4 a red onion, small dice
1/2 a red bell pepper, small dice
1 pint (2 cups) fresh pineapple, medium dice
2/3 cup macadamia nuts, toasted, chopped
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon mint, chopped
2 teaspoons honey
2 jalapenos, minced
2 limes, juiced
1/2 orange, juice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
salt and ground black pepper or red pepper flakes

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Let sit for 1 hour before serving. You can adjust the heat by adding all the seeds from the jalapenos to none of them. Extra red pepper flakes can also add some flare or 1/4 teaspoon of chili sauce.

ENJOY!!