Masa tonight in the South End on Tremont Street!! www.masarestaurant.com Review coming tomorrow!! Though I left my camera in Fl so can't post photos sadly :(

Spinach-Quinoa Salad

Souped up from a recipe my good friend Ralph made me. This is awesome as a side dish or vegetarian main course - then use the leftovers to fill a wrap for a sandwich the next day at lunch!

Quinoa is an ancient grain packed full of protein and fiber and luckily it also tastes good! You can use it as a substitute for any other grain, like rice or barley, in side dishes, soups, pilafs etc. It comes in three colors, tan, red or black - I have actually only tasted tan so far and it is a little chewy but not as much as barley.

1 1/2 cups Quinoa, dry
1/2 bag baby spinach
1 cup dried cherries or dried cranberries
1 cucumber, peeled and small diced (English or if you can find it an Armenian cucumber - they are round like softballs!)
1 15oz can chickpeas, drained
2/3 cup minced red onion
1 cup toasted walnuts (if cranberries) or cashews (if cherries)
4 oz crumbled feta (cherries) or blue cheese (cranberries)
1/2 teaspoon dried mint
salt and pepper

1. Heat oven to 350. Line baking sheet with tinfoil - spread nuts on sheet and toast - about 5-8 minutes
2. In medium sauce pot, boil three cups water, stir in quinoa, turn heat down to low, stir and let simmer partially covered until all water is absorbed (stir intermittently)
3. When quinoa is cooked, pour into large bowl. Mix spinach leaves into hot quinoa to wilt them, add nuts, onion, mint, chickpeas, cucumber - stir.
4. Top with cheese - serve warm, at room temp or cold.

Enjoy!!!

eating out - breakfasts

So as a finishing touch to last week's post, let's talk about what to pick for breakfast foods when you are on the road for work.

Coffee or tea in the morning is fine, it is warm, it tastes delicious and let's be honest, it has a way of getting the digestive tract working. Put skim milk in it with sugar to lessen the fat by not using cream. Yes, I said to use regular sugar or even sugar in the raw - I have a hard time telling people to use artificial sweeteners, though they have been deemed 'safe', if I was chasing a buffalo across the plains, I couldn't stop and pick a blue packet of Equal off a tree or out of the ground. The body wasn't designed to deal with those chemicals.

Anyway, look for oatmeal at restaurants or your hotel. Starbucks also sells it at breafast time. Load it up with cinnamon and even some dried fruit, fresh fruit or nuts on it if they have them. Getting eggs ia also a good option. My favorite are poached eggs or soft boiled, these won't have any fat added in cooking either. So if you are staying in a hotel order a couple of eggs and a bowl of fresh fruit. Yogurt is also a smart choice, though you must be careful of brand and type. Fat free plain yogurt is best. Some people do not care for it because it is a little tangy or sour - it does take some getting used to, but any flavored yogurt has added sugar, high fructose corn syrup or both. If you mix fruit and/or granola into the yogurt you don't need for it to be flavored, it takes on the flavor of whatever you put in it.

Try to stay away from the bagels, danish, waffles, pancakes and big combos meals. While it is very important to eat breakfast it is far more important not to over eat at any meal and to be sure to fill up on things your body can use and wants (which may be in direct conflict with what your brain wants!!!)e