Category — What I’m Loving

Meringues! 

It’s February, one month closer to fewer clothes and lighter loads . . . I won’t lie to you guys, I have a killer sweet tooth.  It’s nearly impossible for me to give up sugar entirely (and then I have the whole “forbidden fruit” thing going on that makes me want it more).  So when I want to indulge, I need to do it strategically.  Sometimes you need the whole enchilada – a brownie, a cookie made with butter, a piece of cake with frosting.  But sometimes you just need a sweet.  Enter the meringue.  They’re made of egg whites, sugar and maybe some cream of tartar.  Nothin’ else.  A pure, naturally fat-free hit of sugar.  You can crunch ‘em, or you can let them melt in your mouth . . . your choice, it’s all good.

The ones I’ve been eating lately are Spaan’s brand, which I picked up at Whole Foods. They’re small meringues, and you can have 14 of them for just 100 calories.  If you’re into quantity, these are for you.  Plus, they come in interesting flavors like lemon and dulce de leche – move over, chocolate and vanilla . . . . swimsuit season, here we come!

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My new love is relatively new to the market – Rachel’s Cottage Cheese.  Some of you may have tried Rachel’s yogurts – they come in funky, exotic flavors (Vanilla Chai, Pomegranate Acai).  I have actually never tried those – I’m such a plain Greek yogurt fan, so I figured I’d save myself from getting hooked on another relatively-expensive indulgence.

But when I saw that Rachel’s was out with some interestingly flavored cottage cheese cups, and that they were each around 130 calories with around 14 grams of protein, it piqued my interest.  I found them last week at the Fresh Pond Whole Foods and I am already on my second batch of them.

So far, I’ve tried the Pomegranate Orange Cranberry, the Pear Mangosteen, the Sundried Tomato Pesto and the Cucumber Dill.  The only two I haven’t been able to find are the Roasted Red Pepper and the Lemon Verbena Berry.  I don’t have a favorite – I love all that I’ve tried and whether I’d reach for sweet or savory depends on my mood at the moment.  They’ve got a nice creamy taste, and because there’re no artificial flavors, the pomegranate and orange tastes like real fruit, the cucumber dill is very fresh and zippy with good veggie/herb flavor, etc.  Almost as if you made it up yourself.

So while I remain a big fan of plain cottage cheese with my own mix-ins, this is a convenient, portion-controlled option, with mix-ins that I wouldn’t necessarily take time to do myself.  I’ve been most often having one as a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack and the protein provides a nice hold-over ’til lunch or dinner.

Here’s the link to Rachel’s Dairy if you want to get the lowdown for yourself . . . .

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I am a Whole Foods sucker.  I think there is a little Sarah Isenberg detector that goes off when I pull into their parking lot:  “Whoop!  Whoop!  Put out your most expensive munchies/probiotic supplements/seasonal chocolates/cheese!”  But today, my impulse-shop paid off in spades.  I have a new love.  This is not new to the market, but new to me . . . . WFM’s own Thai Ginger Marinade.

I was in the Fresh Pond Whole Foods this afternoon and as I sidled up to the fish counter, I was overwhelmed by the tastiest aroma.  After I procured my cod (the Isenberg fish of choice, 24/7), I turned around and visited the nearby guy doing some grilling.  Turns out he had marinated either mah-mahi or swordfish (can’t remember which, I know that neither were Isenberg-approved varieties) in WFM’s Thai Ginger Marinade.  I bought the marinade, untasted, because it smelled so. damn. good.

I re-worked my whole menu tonight around this marinade – we were on deck for cod Veracruz and some accompanying sides in a similar vein, but I went Asian.  I used up some cabbage I’d shredded last night and made my cabbage slaw, then basted my cod fillets with the marinade and poured a little around them in a baking dish.  I baked them, basting every 10 minutes or so, for around 25 minutes.  I also steamed some green beans and made some lo mein.

This marinade knocked my socks off.  The ingredients are simple:  canola oil, shoyu, water, fish sauce, lemon juice, sesame oil, ginger, cliantro, garlic and crushed red pepper.  It’s got a great soy tang, but it’s more complex than your usual soy-saucey sauce – probably because of the fish sauce.  It’s also got a nice deep roasty flavor from the sesame oil, and it’s got a kick to it.  It is strong on cod, so if you’re a cod-purist, it might not be for you.  But it was so good that I put a teaspoon over my green beans.    I could think of 1,000 applications for this stuff – for instance, as a marinade for tofu – then do up a stirfry with loads of veggies and season the whole shebang with more of the marinade.  Or I’m pretty sure it’d be great thinned out a bit (to mellow the flavor, not because it’s viscous) to make a dipping sauce for plain baked or fried tofu triangles.  Or dumplings.  Or to dress your plain Chinese noodles. 

Yum.

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4 words for y’all:  Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Butter.  Not a new product, but new to me.  This stuff is like fall in a jar . . . slightly spicy, super-sweet, loads of pumpkiny flavor.  It’s thick and syrupy in texture, and a little goes a long way. 

I just discovered it on my Wednesday run to TJ’s.  That afternoon, I ate it atop some Fage 0% yogurt, and then sprinkled the whole deal with some toasted pecan pieces that I also picked up at TJ’s that morning.  I’ve had this combo a couple times since – it’s that good.  A nice way to get a sweet fix, but with the benefits of protein from the Fage and some nutty goodness from the pecans.  At 40 cal./tablespoon, it’s not particularly dietetic, but as I said, a little goes a long way – for my approximately 3/4 cup of Fage, a teaspoon drizzled over the top was plenty to sweeten the deal.

This stuff would be fantastic swirled into your a.m. oatmeal, mixed with cream cheese as a spread for bagels or quick-breads, used in between layers of cake, etc. etc. etc.

For more ideas (including some savory options, like salad dressing), look here at a thread from Chowhound, here too.

And while we’re on the subject of Trader Joe’s, did you know that there is a TJ’s Fan site?  There is!

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I was at the Woburn Whole Foods recently, and scoped out their Larabar selection.  They carry the new Tropical Fruit Tart flavored Larabars – have you tried these?  I am in love!  They’re sweeter than the other flavors, a little coconutty, yet a bit tangy with hint of citrus from the orange peel.  Zippier and sunnier than your average Larabar.   And while I consider bars a convenience food, and not a whole food substitute, they do count toward 20% of your DV of Vitamin C and qualify as a full serving of fruit.  So if you’re eating lunch on the go or need a snack to hold you over ’til your next meal . . . I’d highly recommend!

P.S.  If you can’t get Larabars near you, or if you are just a slave to internet commerce like me, Larabars are on sale at Drugstore.com right now.

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Ooooh, do you sometimes have a craving for something super sweet, yet satisfying?  Something chocolately and peanutbuttery?  This is a treat that you must promise me you’ll enjoy in moderation, ’cause there’s no portion-controlled packaging to save you if you get crazy over it, OK?  It’s that good that you might get out of control . . . I’ve, on occasion, threatened to throw the jar out the window to save myself from myself!

You’re dying to know now, right?  It’s Peanut Butter & Co. Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter.  It really is like a peanut butter cup in a jar . . . would be great on a nice piece of toast for breakfast (try sliced bananas on top), or heated a smidge in the microwave and then drizzled over ice cream or froyo.  But people, I believe that it’s best straight up, out of the jar.  Pure heaven.  But again, exercise caution!

For a real diet-buster, here’s a winning recipe from their site which uses the stuff to make . . . peanut butter s’mores bread pudding.  Can you stand it? 

Enjoy! 

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I like a quick lunch.  I’ve got stuff to accomplish, and not much time.  And then there are those days when I want something fancier for lunch, but I don’t want to take the time to go out.  Nothing in the fridge appeals, and I don’t want to make something from scratch – I do a lot of cooking later in the day, right?

This week I found a new solution at Trader Joe’s.  Their frozen Mini Cilantro Chicken Wontons and Chicken Shumai are tasty and not crazy for calories. To prepare them, I put a damp paper towel on a microwave safe plate, add the dumplings and the shumai, and then cover them with another damp paper towel – microwave for 2-3 minutes.  The wetter your towel, the less chance of the wrappers on the wontons getting dry and chewy.

Now folks, I realize that frozen mass-marketed dumplings are a poor cousin of homemade.  But the TJ’s  dumplings are pretty good, and compared to other convenience foods that are loaded with artificial preservatives and ingredients, these are made from relatively wholesome ingredients.  And when you’re feeling lazy but in need of an Asian fix, they’ll meet the need.

There is dipping sauce included with the shumai, but I’ve never tried it – I make my own, very easy sauce and use it on both the shumai and the wontons:

Stir.  Dip.

I also steam up some edamame (did you know you can microwave the shelled beans?  Yes – put them in a Pyrex bowl with a lid, and zap ‘em for a minute.  Stir, zap until tender).  The sauce is good on these, too.

Enjoy!

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I just zoomed in from a haircut at 1:00 and was famished – long workout today at the gym and only an apple since my breakfast at 7:00 a.m.  My husband forgot his lunch, so I ate his ham-on-wheat, and treated myself to a package of Sensible Portions Rosemary Olive Oil Garden Veggie Straws that I’d packed for him.

Now, before I go on, know this about me:  I am not a sandwich & chips kinda girl.  No, lunch for me is usually a giant salad with beans and some sort of low-calorie dressing.  Or leftovers from the night before.  Or 1/2 cup of cottage cheese with fruit or black pepper.  And I don’t like potato chips that much.  No, if I’m going to indulge in a crunchy, junky snack, I’ll go for the crunchy Cheetos, or some Cheez-its (hmmm, sensing a theme). 

Anyway, back to the loving.  It wasn’t the ham, no, that’s delicious, but it’s deli ham (it’s the hand-tied maple ham from Whole Foods, if you’re curious – uncured and SO delicious).  It was the Veggie Straws – these, my friends, are super duper delicious.  Very crunchy, sorta salty, and with just a touch of rosemary flavor.   These were the perfect counterpoint to the slightly sweet ham.  And at 135 cal./bag (1 oz.), not a budget-breaker.  I hadn’t tried these until today – picked them up in a 24-pack (assorted flavors) at Costco for $8.99.

P.S.  I ate another bag just now.  That good!  A must-try!

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