Is that sushi going straight to your tushie?

I obsess over Sushi.  I must have Kohana at least once a week. Twice is better.  On the other hand, my "thrifty" (*cough* "cheap") side won't let me partake of it as much as I like.  I seriously could eat it every day, especially for lunch.  Instead, I settle for every Tuesday night after playing tennis when my husband and I grab to-go sushi on the way home. 

In my effort this week to clean up my splurging last week I did a little research to see which sushi is best and what I should stay away from if I'm watching my fat and calories.  Because in case you didn't know, not all sushi is created equal.

Sushi is widely regarded as a healthy cuisine.  That's not untrue, for the most part.  Fish is extremely healthy.  But as Sushi has gone more mainstream in America, they have found ways to make it more pleasing to our American palate.  For example "Shrimp Tempura"  is A.K.A Fried Shrimp.  May as well hit up the local Captain D's.

Fear not friends, I have done some research on the best options for us sushi lovers that are watching our waist lines too.  Here's some of the best tips I've found...

MISO HUNGRY
Start you sushi meal with a soup or salad with Ginger Dressing (not creamy).  Studies show that people who start their meals with healthy soup end up eating fewer calories.  Miso soup, with around just 50 calories per cup, certainly falls into that category.  If you want a nibble to share with the table, go for edamame.  A 1/2 cup serving contains 127 calories, 6g fat and 4g fiber. 

RAW DEALS

(Like Mama always said before a spanking, "This hurts me worse than it hurts you".  These words are in all my favorites from Kohana) 

Look out for the following words. They'll clue you in that you're about to order something not so diet-friendly...
"Tempura"-Tempura is basically Japanese for "batter fried."  Tempura = a fat fest!
"Spider"-Spider rolls are usually greasy fried crab rolls.  They sound good, but they really pack in calories and fat.
"Dynamite"- In sushi-land, the word "dynamite" basically means, "baked in a sea of gooey mayo."  Skip it!
"Crunch" -  Yet another cute & clever way of saying "fried & fatty."

ROCKIN' ROLLS!

To have a rockin' body and a sushi roll, stick with the healthiest options.  In addition to these, I've seen tips where you can ask the chef to go easy on the rice when constructing your roll.  Many sushi restaurants, as well as Whole Foods and Publix offer brown rice rolls.  Brown over white anything is a better option for health.
Cucumber Roll  - This crunchy, healthy delight packs in just 130 calories & no fat!
Spicy Tuna Roll  - If made with a small amount of mayo, one of these will likely contain between 250 - 290 calories, and 5 - 10g of fat.
California Roll  - Order without mayo, and this one will set you back about 275 - 300 calories, and have 5 - 10g of fat.

(I admit these options are bor-ring!  Keep reading and I'll show you my picks for best Kohana Sushi)
As for the sauces and condiments, there are defiantly ones to steer clear of.

The Good:  Wasabi, Soy Sauce, Seaweed, Ginger, Edamame

The Dangerous:  Mayo, Cream Cheese, Various Oils

For us calorie counters, here a link to a chart that shows the fat and calorie content of the most popular sushi rolls.  Notice the "Whole Foods Sushi" tab along the top. Super helpful!

http://www.sushifaq.com/sushi-calories.htm

So what have we learned today kids?  After consulting my nutritionist, Google, here a few options I would pick at Kohana. (and those that I would stay away from).  There are a two healthy options that I don't have a picture for but deserve honorable mention: The New Orleans and Alaska Roll. Both contain all fish, no crunch, no sauce. Great picks.

My Finders and Keepers

Order up!  These rolls are yummy for your tummy and your waistline.

Fiji Roll-Does have shrimp tempura, yes. But also does not have any mayo based sauce or any fried fish extras on top.

Hollywood Roll-One of my personal fav's!  Only weakness is it does have bits of cream cheese in the roll and contains shrimp tempura again...but with no creamy sauces, you could do much worse than this one.

Sunset Roll-Contains no tempura and no mayo sauces.

Sunrise Roll- Does contain "crunch" but other than that as good good as the Sunset.

Finally, last but not least.

The hands down "Best all around" award goes to....drum roll....SPICY GIRL

Isn't she pretty!  Contains none of the fatty stuff we should steer clear from. You will be one spicy girl yourself if you stick with her.

Now for the losers and weepers...

Steer clear from these.

Sweetheart Roll-Has shrimp tempura AND "creamy (mayo) sauce".  A no go combo.

Kohana Roll- Do I even need to explain?  Fried, covered in sauce. Nah-eh! Bad Girl!

Phoenix Roll, and it's sister in sin The Alfredo Roll-  Both of them are favorites of mine so I'm just as sad as you are about it.  Look at all that sauce! 

May I have a little sushi with my sauce?

The only way we should partake in this is if the chef could hold all the sauces. By then I'm not sure we would like it anyway.

Volcano Roll- Another one I used to love.  But this one contains baked scallops drenched in butter, and sauces galore.  Another no-no.

There are several more worthy of making it to the best/worst list, but with no pictures I didn't want to bore you.  Plus, we haven't even brushed the surface with fat content, calories, and sustainability of each fish in sushi.  But I don't want to bore you out of reading my blog, so give me a break. 

You are armed with good info now to make better decisions when you peruse the menu at your favorite sushi joint.  Hope this helps you next time you are heading out for sushi night!  Let me know if you have any other great tips for smarter sushi picking.

Breakfast Pita Pocket

Lately I have been bored with breakfast.   I was on a big oatmeal kick, but its gotten old.  I try not to eat cereal because its full of sugar.  To complicate things more, I'm on the meatless trend right now. 

What's a girl to do?  This week I've tried to think out of the box to give myself a healthy jump start to the day.  It's important to eat breakfast. Why? (According to WebMD), Studies show that eating a healthy breakfast (as opposed to the kind containing doughnuts) can help give you:

• A more nutritionally complete diet, higher in nutrients, vitamins and minerals
• Improved concentration and performance in the classroom or the boardroom
• More strength and endurance to engage in physical activity
• Lower cholesterol levels
• Breakfast is also closely linked to successful weight loss strategies

In an effort to get something good in my body for breakfast I've arrived back at the egg.  Though, I've never been big on eggs.  Honestly, if I never ate one again I don't think I would miss it. But they are good for you and eggs contain lean protein keeps you feeling fuller, longer. I figured it's worth giving the old egg a second chance.
(See more benefits on eggs at the end of the post)

Using whatever I had on hand in the fridge I came up with this breakfast Pita Pocket, but now that I have the idea I see the possibilities are endless. 

For the egg filling, I used 1 whole egg plus 1 egg white.  The egg yolk is where the most of the fat and cholesterol is so I try to use them sparingly. 

Scramble the eggs in a non-stick pan over medium-low heat, stirring as little as possible (*the trick to fluffy scrambled eggs is to cook them slow and low and not stir too much). Give your pan a couple of quick sprays of non-stick cooking spray before adding in eggs to be on the safe side.   When they were almost complete I added in a sprinkle of sea salt and cracked black pepper, a fork full of capers, and a handful of spinach.  Let this all heat through until the spinach wilts down a bit.

Pita pockets can be found in the bakery section of most grocery stores.  I heated one pocket in a toaster oven while my eggs were cooking.  When the pita came out of the oven I put a couple of pinches of soy cheese inside to let the heat of the pocket melt the cheese down.   Soy cheese is in the organic section, and tastes so close to cheese I don't notice a difference when added to dishes.  I hear it makes a great grilled cheese, but I haven't tried yet. Soy cheese has less calories and fat than regular cheese.  Very popular with the vegans, of course.

So to finish the pocket, stuff the egg, spinach, and caper mixture in the pocket.  At that point if I had marinara sauce to add in it would have been perfect.  But this is no perfect world and I had to improvise.  I added in salsa that I had in the fridge.  Salsa and capers are not a common match but it added in the perfect tomato zip I was looking for.

There are soooo many different combos of stuffing's that would make a great start to the day.  If you wanted to add in sausage or bacon it would be easy to do too.  Just brown the meat up in the skillet before adding in eggs.

I hope to pick up some feta cheese and marinara sauce to truly go Greek with this pita pocket this week.

The pita pocket did keep me feeling very full and satisfied until lunch time rolled around.  Feeling full going into lunch helps me be smarter about what I eat and if I'm not starving I eat less.  Bonus!

So what makes eggs so Eggcellent? 

They may reduce your risk of cancer

Whole eggs are one of the best sources of the nutrient choline (one large egg has about 30 percent of your RDA). A study published this year found that women with a high intake of choline were 24 percent less likely to get breast cancer. Note: Choline is found mostly in the yolk.

Eggs keep your peepers peeping
Egg yolks are also high in lutein and zeaxanthin, two antioxidants that have been shown to ward off macular degeneration--so you'll still be able to eyeball hotties from afar when you're 80.

An omelet a day can shrink your waist
Louisiana State University system researchers found that obese people who ate a two-egg breakfast at least five times a week lost 65 percent more weight and had more energy than women who breakfasted on bagels.

Your abs eat them up
These little orbs contain a certain sequence of amino acids that makes egg protein easy for your body to absorb. Which means a hard-boiled grade-A is an ideal muscle-repair food after a butt-busting workout.

Which eggs are best?
All eggs contain the same basic good stuff, and the large ones pack only 72 calories each, so you really can't go wrong. But depending on your eating habits, special eggs may be worth the extra cash.

(Info from WebMD and Women's Health Magazine)

Working on my fitness

I was seriously slacking on my fitness last week!  Now, Monday morning rolls around and I feel like a tub of blubber.  This week, I'm getting back on my game, so expect some healthy posts out of me.  To bump up my vegetables I've been trying to use some different things and greens I've never used before.  Its good experimenting.  Let me share what I've found so far, kale.

I bought a bundle of kale at the grocery.  At the check out line, the lady had to ask me what was in the produce bag to ring it up.  Really?  It occurred to me that if the woman at the grocery store had never even seen Kale then most of us have never cooked with it either.

Even I admit it's kind of intimidating to cook Greens that you have never had before. I only recently started using kale in as many recipes as possible.  Before that, I was just like the grocery check out lady; I couldn't identify it if I had to. 

Let me tell you a little about why you should incorporate kale into your diet.  Kale is considered to be a highly nutritious vegetable with powerful antioxidant properties; is also considered to be anti-inflammatory.

It is very high in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, lutein, zeaxanthin, and reasonably rich in calcium.
Kale, as with broccoli and other brassicas, contains sulforaphane (particularly when chopped or minced), a chemical believed to have potent anti-cancer properties.  Who couldn't use some anit-cancer properties in their diet, right?

Alright, alright...you get the message and you go buy some.  What to do now?  Wash the leaves up and let them dry well in the sink or on kitchen towel.  There is a thick stalk that runs up the center of the leaf you need to remove before cooking.

To remove, just take your knife and cut along each side of the stalk like so...

Now your cooking...there are tons of recipes online for Kale.  You can see I used it in a my "Chicken less Chicken Tortilla Soup".  I've also used it in place of spinach in some recipes.  Use your imagination. 

Over the weekend I used the bunch that I bought in another dish similar to my "Vino Lo Mein" concoction.  I used kale, broccoli, and red peppers along with the same white wine-lemon sauce as the original recipe. 

I cut the kale into ribbons so it would twirl nicely around my fork with my whole wheat noodles.  Here are some photos along the chopping and stir-fry process of the kale and other vegetables.

Kale is on the right, cut into ribbons.
Other veggies cut into bit size pieces for quick stir-frying.

To retain the most vitamins in Kale, cook it the least amount of time possible.
I cooked the broccoli and red peppers until almost done before adding in kale.

You can see Kale turn a darker hue of green once cooked.

Give it a try and let me know what you think.  I would love to hear how others inappropriate it into meals!

Nothing says "Thank you" like brownies

I wanted to do something for my friend Lorilee, who helped get this blog looking snazzy.  I figured anyone can go buy a nice bottle of "thank you" wine, but a true food-blogger-wanna-be like myself should bake something to send over. 

How Southern Living of me, right?

I saw this on one the the thousands of food blogs I look at and had been wanting to try these Butterfinger Blondies because the ingredients list was so simple.  (I love a short ingredients list, typically means fewer bowls to clean up after baking.)  They tuned out great, with little bits of Butterfinger running throughout the blondie.

I was a little worried before baking, it was a very odd consistency batter.  So much so, that I double checked the ingredient list to make sure I didn't omit something.  They baked up fine, just know if you try the recipe there is no cause for alarm if it doesn't seem like traditional brownie batter.

 Butterfinger Blondies

2-1/4 Cups Flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter, softened
2-1/4 cups brown sugar
3 eggs
1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
4-Regular Sized Butterfinger candy bars, crushed

I used a zip lock bag and and ice pick to crush the butterfinger. 
I left them a little chunky so you could see them in the brownie.
Do this before you start the recipe so you will have all ingredients ready to combine.

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and Flour a 13x9 baking pan.

In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In a meduim bowl, with an electric mixer at meduim speed, combine butter and brown sugar.  Beat in eggs and vanilla until smooth.

Brown sugar and butter combined

After eggs and vanilla added

In the process of stirring in the flour mixture. It took some elbow grease!

Stir in the flour mixture and 1 cup crushed butterfingers.

Spread in prepared pan. Sprinkle remaining crushed butterfinger bars over top of batter.

Bake 30-35 minutes, or until the bars are a bit firm to the touch.  Cool completely before cutting into bars.

Sorry, my "finished product" picture turned out so blurry I won't even bore you with it.  But trust me, they looked great.

One extra note, I let mine cook for 35 minutes.  When I checked on them at 30 minutes they still looked very jiggly in the middle.  Next time, I will pull them out at 30 minutes, even if I'm not sure. They turned out a little firmer than I like my brownies.  I prefer fudgy and gooey.

Presentation is everything.

Luckily my job takes me to the Whole Foods side of time a couple of times a week.  I was near that side of town again today and was wanting something healthy for lunch so I went ahead and braved the torrential downpours and Green Hills traffic to get my Whole Foods Grill fix. 

I passed that semi-circle "The Grill at Green Hill" bar by the produce and seafood counter several times, but never was brave enough to stop and eat there for fear of what I could be missing over by the salad bars, sushi case, and hot bar area.  There is too many yummy lunch options for me to tackle there! One day a couple of months ago I passes someone at that bar having a great looking salmon sandwich so I decided to give it a try. Wow. What a pleasant surprise the Grill was!

The fist time I ate there I had the salmon sandwich and a side salad.  It is a huge portion of salmon that comes fresh out of the seafood cases behind you.  They put it on a fresh roll with fresh baby greens, tomato, and a caper aioli (the day I was there anyway, sandwiches and menu's change daily).  It was FABULOUS!  Not to mention the salad had a hot bacon vinaigrette that was to die for. 

It was like waving bait in front of a bass fish, I was hooked.  I eat there nearly every time I'm in Whole Foods for lunch now.

Wednesday when I was in the store shopping I saw they had changed their menu to feature new fall items.  Fish Taco's caught my eye (one of my all time fav's) so all morning I had it in mind to order those for lunch.  However, when I sat down the chef told me about today's special...and I was sold. 

Sorry, I know my pictures stink. I've got to remember to carry my camera with me so I can have better "show and tell"

Prepare yourself for this menu, okay...Pan seared salmon over Israeli couscous with sauteed spinach and tomatoes, all garnished with a roasted red pepper sauce.  I mean, it's like a fancy Saturday night entree, on a Friday afternoon.  Plus, look at the photos of this plate!  The presentation is like that of a 5 Star restaurant. It's true you eat with your eyes first, and my eyes were loving it

This might have been the best salmon I have ever had!  And I've had a lot of salmon.  It had the best crispy outside, to compliment a moist inside.  The couscous was de-lish with green peas, mint and a little pesto mixed in.  The tomatoes and spinach were quickly sauteed in a pan with a little oil and balsamic vinegar, and was a perfect companion to the luscious salmon fillet.

The perk to the meal is that you sit right in front of the chefs as they prepare it.  He was kind enough to share with me his secret to getting the salmon SO CRISP on the outside but still moist inside.  The trick is to have a screaming hot pan when you add the salmon.  He also noted to make sure and pat salmon completely dry before putting it in the hot pan.  Then let it cook seasoned side down UNDISTURBED (no poking or prodding) for 3-4 minutes, then flip it and put it into a 425 degree oven to finish cooking through. 

Best salmon method, bar none!  I've got to try this one night next week.

One other great aspect of the Grill is that should you choose, you can walk 10 feet over to the fresh fish counter, pick your fish out, and walk it back over the chef for him to prepare for you.  I think it's so cool to be able to pick your own fish.  I've never not wanted to venture off yummy menu to do that, but I'm optimistic someday I'll get around to it.

Hungry?

Last week I saw a great interview with someone from Shape magazine.  She shared the most brilliant way to tell if you are really hungry, or are just craving something out of boredom. 

I often find myself at the fridge because I'm bored, not hungry. 

You know you are hungry if you will eat anything.  You'll know you are eating out of boredom or cravings if you are wanting a specific something. 

Re-read it a couple of times. 

It was a light bulb moment for me.  If you are eating out of hunger, that leftover soup in the fridge will do the trick.  But if you stand there with the door open, wishing something salty or chocolaty will magically appear, you are having a craving. 

There is power (and less calories) in listening to your body well enough tell the difference.

Restaurant Week=Great deals

Next week is Restaurant week in Nashville.  Who knew?  Many restaurants are offering 3 course meals at a great price!  I love a good bargain.

Here's a link to the site where you can see participating restaurants and menu options at each. 

http://www.nashvilleoriginals.com/restaurantweek.php

I've been wanting to try a number of these places.  Decisions, decisions...