Indian Lentil Coconut Soup

Christmas Day has come and gone...are you as worn out as I am? My past week and a half has been a whirlwind of weddings, dinners, parties, decorating, gift wrapping, party planning, making lasagna for 100 plus people (it was delish I might add). So I am not surprised that when I woke up this morning I was a little under the weather!

I don't have much of an appetite (probably because I'm not feeling well...or maybe because I've eaten so much wonderful/rich/delicious food lately !?!). But soup sounded good to me, I love this recipe, I haven't blogged in FOREVER, and I haven't shared it with you yet...so here it is.

The soup freezes well and I'm heading to Orlando on Wednesday for the Capital One Bowl, so most of it went straight into the freezer...but the serving I had today really hit the spot. Feeling better already!

Indian Lentil Coconut Soup

adapted very liberally from Health.com

makes 16 1/2-cup servings

Printable Recipe

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

2 medium garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 black pepper

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 teaspoon turmeric

5 cups water

1 pound dried red lentils, washed and picked over

1 13.5 ounce can light coconut milk*

2 bay leaves

Heat olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add diced onion and saute 5 minutes or until beginning to soften. Add garlic, ginger, salt, pepper, and other spices; cook until fragrant and spices coat onions. Add water, lentils, coconut milk, and bay leaves; stir to combine.

Bring to a boil over medium high heat then reduce to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 40 minutes or until lentils are soft. Add more water if soup becomes too thick.

Remove and discard the bay leaves. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.

Per serving (1/2 cup) - 126 calories, 2 g fat (1.5 g saturated), 19 g carbohydrates, 9 g fiber, 8 g protein (exchanges: 1 starch, 1/2 vegetable, 1/2 fat, 1 protein; WW points: 2)

* Coconut milk is usually found on the ethnic food isle...not by the alcohol (don't by cream of coconut, save that for pina coladas!)

EDF November...Thanksgiving!

So, until football season is over, it looks like all I'm capable of is a few posts per month! I had 3 in September, 2 in October, and this is my first for November...not a way to create a following!

But since its Thanksgiving week, the studio is closed and there is no Saintsations practice until Sunday (for the BIG game on Monday night, look for me on the sidelines!)...I have the whole week off. Time to blog!

I'm only in charge of the salad for Thursday. We are having Thanksgiving dinner with my dad's side of the family in Venice, Louisiana (way down at the mouth of the Mississippi). My dad and brother are both river boat pilots (well, Adam isn't really a pilot yet, but he's working his way up). My dad's brother's 2 sons (my cousins) are also pilots...and they all have to work this week. So we are taking our feast on the road to my Aunt and Uncle's camp. Aunt Millie is the BEST cook! Such a treat to have a delicious home cooked meal when you are usually the one cooking!

Even though I won't be trying out any new recipes, here are some easy recipes for the November issues of Martha Stewart's Everyday Food, all of them perfect for Turkey Day.

photo from marthastewart.com

Turkey Roulade

- per serving: 251 calories, 7 g fat (2 g saturated), 39 g protein, 6 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber (exchanges: 5 protein, 1 1/2 fat, 1/2 starch)

- suggestions: If you are cooking for fewer people, give this a try instead of the traditional roasted turkey

photo from marthastewart.com

Apple Stuffing

- per serving: 218 calories, 8 g fat, 5 g protein, 33 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber (exchanges: 1 1/2 fat, 1/2 fruit, 1 1/2 starch; WW points: 4)

photo from marthastewart.com

Cranberry and Dried-Cherry Relish

-per 2 tbsp serving: 62 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g protein, 15 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber (exchanges: 1/2 fruit, 1/2 starch; WW points: 1)

- suggestion: use leftover turkey and relish to make turkey-brie quesadillas...just spread Dijon mustard over a tortilla and top with turkey, brie, relish, and black pepper

photo from marthastewart.com

Brussels Sprouts Vinaigrette

- per serving: 82 calories, 4 g fat (.5 g saturated), 4 g protein, 11 g carbohydrates, 5 g fiber (exchanges: 2 vegetable, 1 fat; WW points: 1)

- suggestions: I had something like this at one of my favorite Houston restaurants, Dolce Vita, but the sprouts were shredded (like slaw)...I might try that here!

photo from marthastewart.com

Roasted Acorn Squash with Cinnamon Butter

- per serving: 117 calories, 8 g fat (4 g saturated), 1 g protein, 14 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber (exchanges: 1 starch, 1 1/2 fat; WW points: 3)

photo from marthastewart.com

Pumpkin-Glazed Pumpkin Cookies

- per cookie: 78 calories, 3 g fat (2 g saturated), 1 g protein, 12 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber (exchanges: 1 starch, 1/2 fat; WW points: 2)

- notes: these cookies are very cake-like (sort of like muffin tops); many of the reviews said to double the spices

Lagniappe...

Here is a recipe for a Crustless Pumpkin Pie (its more like a pumpkin pie crisp...there is a brown sugar and oat topping) that I made a few years ago...pretty good! I left the orange zest out though.

Per serving: 185 calories, 2 g fat (0 g saturated), 6 g protein, 36 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber (exchanges: 3 starch; WW points: 3)

Pumpkin Muffins

Okay...I'm officially the worst CEiMB member! I can not keep up with life, much less blogging. Needless to say, it has been yet another month since I've participated...but today when I realized that I had all of the ingredients on hand for this week's recipe (chosen by Oddball Oven Mitt) and a little extra time, I jumped at the chance.

The muffins are a perfect match for a cool fall morning and a warm cup of coffee. They aren't overly sweet, making them a great breakfast option...but I bet if you topped them with a little cream cheese frosting they would make delicious cupcakes.

Pumpkin Muffins

• Per serving - 205 calories, 7 g fat (1 g saturated), 32 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 5 g protein (exchanges: 2 starches, 1 fat; WW points: 4)
• Notes - I doubled the cinnamon, used maple syrup instead of molasses, swapped Greek yogurt for the buttermilk, and omitted the pumpkin seeds...the reviews said the spices were a little muted...the other changes were because of what I had and didn't have in the house; the recipe is supposed to yield 12 muffins, but after filling 12 I still had leftover batter...so as you can see in the pictures I filled 2 ramekins with about 2 muffins worth of batter...I guess I would have gotten about 16 regular muffins; if you have been reading this blog for a while you already know that my leftover muffins are now in a zip-top bag in my freezer

Pumpkin Spice Iced Coffee

I look forward to Autumn for several reasons...cooler weather (um, I'm waiting...where is it?), football, warm comfort foods (pot roast is #1 on my list), and Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Lattes! I usually don't sweeten my coffee, but for this I have to make an exception (I do ask for only 1 pump of syrup though).

A few weeks ago I came across this recipe for a DIY Pumpkin Spice Latte...just like Starbucks! And while I haven't actually tried the recipe yet, it did inspire me to flavor my iced coffee with pumpkin spices! I just add pumpkin pie spice to the coffee grounds before I add water and then allow it all to steep overnight. If you don't have pumpkin pie spice, just use a mixture of any of the following: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves...go easy on the last 3 and heavy on the cinnamon.

I add about 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice to this recipe. Then for each individual drink, I add skim milk and sweeten with condensed milk...such a treat! Happy Fall!

Sweet and Spicy Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

I haven't blogged since Sept 2nd and I haven't made a CEiMB recipe since Aug 27th...what is going on??? Football season!

I'm used to having LSU games take up my Saturdays, but I am not used to NFL football game days! Now that I'm the Saintsation choreographer and the season is in full swing, my Tuesdays are filled with practices, Thursdays occasional games or practices, and Sundays more games! If I wasn't a Saints fan before now (and I'll admit, I wasn't), I will be by the end of the season!

Needless to say, not a lot of cooking has been going on in my house! But I haven't been eating out either. Every week I make sure that I have the ingredients for "assembling" things...eggs, veggies, chicken, turkey, and cheese have been turned into salads, omelets, and sandwiches.

It just so happened that the recipe chosen by Lethally Delicious for this week was a sandwich...something my crazy schedule could handle! And who can resist a grilled cheese?

This is not your typical grilled cheese sandwich...a mix of cheddar and pepper jack cheeses are topped with sauteed red onions and perfectly ripened tomatoes - Delish!

I added a splash of balsamic vinegar to the onions to play-up the sweetness factor. I used tiny yellow tomatoes because they were on sale and organic. And because my bread had gotten moldy (Adam, this is why I keep my bread in the freezer!) I used some whole wheat rolls that I had stored in where else? The freezer.

Sweet and Spicy Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

• Per serving - 350 calories, 18 g fat (8 g saturated), 33 g carbohydrates, 5 g fiber, 16 g protein (exchanges: 2 starch, 3 1/2 fats, 2 protein, 1/2 vegetable; WW points: 8)
• Notes - If you aren't a cheese snob and don't mind sacrificing a little flavor and deliciousness, you could swap the full-fat version for a 2% reduced fat cheese...or you could just make sure the rest of your meals that day aren't particularly high in fat (and saturated fat) and enjoy the real deal...it's only 350 calories for the whole sandwich; I recommend adding the balsamic like I did...the onions were so good; as you can see in the picture, I didn't dice the onions, just sliced them into half-rings; I love my All-Clad panini pan!

EDF September

Remember how I said I was going to post seasonal recipes from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food Magazine every month? Well it's September....so here goes:

Romaine, Avocado, and Corn Salad

- per serving: 166 calories, 8.9 g fat, 4.7 g protein, 22 g carbohydrates, 5 g fiber (exchanges: 1 1/2 fat, 1 vegetable, 1 starch; WW points: 3)

- suggestions: add some shredded chicken or black beans, for added protein, and make it a meal

English Muffin with Apple and Cheddar

- per serving (1/2 an English muffin): 173 calories, 7.7 g fat, 7.5 g protein, 18.5 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber (exchanges: 1 starch, 1/4 fruit, 1 fat, 1 protein; WW points: 4)

- suggestions: use a whole wheat English muffin; Martha says 1 serving is both halves of the muffin, which would be fine if you were eating this as a meal...I would eat half and have it at breakfast or as a snack

Roasted Vegetable Soup

- per serving: 172 calories, 7.5 g fat, 3.6 g protein, 26 g carbohydrate, 5 g fiber (exchanges: 4 vegetable, 1 1/2 fat; WW points: 3)

- suggestions: I would only use 1 tablespoon of oil

Chicken and Artichoke Stew

- per serving: 355 calories, 10 g fat, 40 g protein, 25.4 g carbohydrates, 6 g fiber (exchanges: 2 fat, 5 protein, 1/2 starch, 3 vegetables; WW points: 7)

- suggestions: to make this recipe quicker, use a shredded rotisserie chicken purchased from the store; note, the optional rice is not included in the nutritional info; you could use shredded breast meat instead of thighs

Stuffed Chicken Cutlets

- per serving (1 cutlet...w/o tomato sauce...but that won't add much!): 192 calories, 7 g fat, 29 g protein, 1.8 g carbohydrates (exchanges:4 protein, 1 1/2 fat; WW points: 4)

- suggestions: Martha thinks you should eat 2 of these (for 384 cals and 58 g protein), but unless you are a man, you do not need that much protein at 1 meal...so my serving is 1 cutlet; this is a make ahead and freeze meal...perfect for a quick dinner

Broccoli Chowder with Corn and Bacon

- per serving: 264 calories, 6.1 g fat (2.6 g saturated), 14.4 g protein, 42 g carbohydrates, 5 g fiber (exchanges: 2 protein, 1 fat, 1 vegetable, 2 starch; WW points: 5)

- suggestions: I would probably add garlic with the onions

Herb Crusted Salmon with Spinach Salad

- per serving: 383 calories, 18.5 g fat (3 g saturated), 36.5 g protein, 16.7 g carbohydrates, 2.6 g fiber (exchanges: 3 1/2 fat, 6 protein, 2 vegetable; WW points: 9)

- suggestions: Don't be scared by the amount of fat...it's mostly from the fish (heart healthy omega-3's); I would use whole wheat bread

Iceberg Wedges with Gorgonzola Dressing

- per serving: 80 calories, 2.7 g fat (1.8 g saturated), 5 g protein, 9.6 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber (exchanges: 1/2 fat, 1 protein, 1 vegetable; WW points: 1)

- suggestions: I might add a little more cheese!

Latte e Miele

Did you know that Baton Rouge has a gelateria (a place where gelato is served)???? I was just flipping through 225 magazine (check Hil out on page 31!) and read this article about Latte e Miele (Italian for "milk and honey") and got soooo excited! Apparently it has been open since April (how am I just now finding out about this?)

Gelato reminds me of big cities...Houston, NYC, LA...not Baton Rouge! But it's here and I will be sure to visit soon!

Here are two blog posts about Latte e Miele: First Bite and Cuisine Rouge.

Latte and Miele is located on Highland at I-10 (near CCL) and is open 7 days a week from 10 am to 10 pm. If you aren't into gelato (and really, you should be) you can also get cappuccino and espresso...or gelato topped with a shot of espresso!

Latte e Miele, I'm on my way!

Chicken Sate with Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce

Those of you who have been reading my "What a Dietitian Eats" posts all week know that I love this recipe and have eaten it 3 days in a row. So glad The Tortefeasor chose this as the CEiMB recipe of the week!

If you have never had sate (or satay) before, you are in for a treat. Marinated meat or poultry (in this case chicken) is skewered, grilled, and then served with a spicy peanut sauce. I'm not sure which part I like better - the chicken or the sauce? They are both delicious! The marinade is made with lime zest, grated ginger, coconut milk, soy sauce, garlic, brown sugar...how bad can that be?

As could be expected I turned this into a salad with romaine, red bell pepper, carrots, snow peas, scallions, and cilantro. So that I could use if for a dressing, I made the sauce a little thinner by adding a little of the coconut milk leftover from the marinade (I used the rest in coconut-mango smoothies).

You should all make this really soon (or ask...no beg...someone to make it for you!)

Chicken Sate with Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce

• Per serving (Ellie's version...not my salad) - 263 calories, 10 g fat (3.4 g saturated), 12 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 31 g protein (exchanges: 4 protein, 2 fat, 1/2 starch; WW points: 6)
• Notes - Some changes I made: 1) I didn't pound the chicken, I just made sure to cut the strips really thin, 2) to make the sauce thinner I added a little less peanut butter and about 1/4 of a cup of coconut milk...it also needed to be a little sweeter so I added more sugar, 3) I used a teaspoon of curry powder instead of the paste, 4) I left the shallot out of the dressing, 4) I let the chicken marinate for about 4 hours...it worked better with my schedule, and 5) I didn't buy any chopped peanuts, but I really wish I had them for the salad; if you don't have fish sauce just add a little more soy sauce...but I think it really makes a diffence and it will last FOREVER in your fridge
• Tip - If the chicken is slightly frozen it will slice better/thinner

What Does a Dietitian Eat? (Day4)

Thursday, August 27th

• Pre-run snack - peach
• 4 mile run
• Post-run breakfast - strawberry apricot smoothie (1/2 cup apricot nectar, 1/2 cup skim, 1/4 cup yogurt, 1/4 cup cottage cheese, 1 cup frozen strawberries, 2 tsp sugar, lots of ice); handful of walnuts
• Lunch - Mozzarella, tomato, pesto panini; eggplant dip with cucumbers
• Snack - Iced latte (CC's...grande, skim, splash of half&half, pkt of sugar)
• Teach from 4:30 - 10:30 pm (had an apple around 9 pm)
• Dinner - chicken sate salad; carrots and eggplant dip
• Snack - foldover cream cheese & banana sandwich! (1 slice whole wheat bread, 1 oz light cream cheese, 1/2 mashed banana, sprinkle cinnamon sugar...of course pressed on the George Foreman); skim milk

All I'm going to say is today was a LONG one...it's 11:00 pm and I just got home and just ate dinner! Good thing I had healthy food ready to go in the fridge...if I hadn't no telling what I would have devoured!

I'm sure you've noticed I eat the same things several times during the week, but next week these will be completely different. I try to have variety from week to week...not day to day. When I cook something I do the whole recipe, even though I'm only cooking for me. So I always have leftovers. But they are really yummy leftovers so I don't mind eating them again and again. Sometimes I freeze things too.

As for my last snack, that was a spur-of-the-moment, I'm-craving-something-sweet idea. And it was so GOOD! Spread the cream cheese on 1 slice bread; mash 1/2 a banana and spread it over the cream cheese; sprinkle with cinnamon sugar; and grill. What a treat!

What Does a Dietitian Eat? (Day 3)

Wednesday August 26th

• Breakfast - oatmeal (1 ptk plain instant Nature's Path oatmeal, a handful of King Arthur Harvest Grains Blend, 3 figs, 1 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese, skim milk, a few walnuts, 2 tsp sugar, splash of vanilla)
• Lunch - same Chicken Sate salad as yesterday; cucumbers and eggplant dip
• Snack - yogurt and small iced latte
• Dinner - pork chops, turnips, green beans, and a salad; 2 - 3 glasses wine
• Snack - peach buttermilk ice cream and a 100 cal dark chocolate bar

Today was my day off from running and I had a few errands to run plus a marathon hair appointment (I'm literally there for 3 hours), so I knew breakfast needed to hold me over until 2pm. A smoothie would definitely not do. I decided to have a filling bowl of oatmeal with a little fruit/nut combo. I decided to add a little cream cheese to up the creaminess factor.

I finally had lunch around 2:30 and I was pretty hungry...should have packed a snack! Around the same time I made the ice cream. I had a surplus of peaches that were on the verge of going bad and buttermilk left over from the cupcakes I made on Sunday. It's really good right out of the machine, but it gets a little icy once it goes in the freezer. Still tastes good though and it's a low-cal fruit based dessert...gotta love it!

Dinner was at a friends house for a little girls night get together. I was in charge of the wine, Jackie the salad, and Jennifer everything else. The pork chops were unexpectedly good! And I don't know if I've ever really had turnips...they were good too. Jennifer and her husband sort of do the "low-carb" thing, hence the absence of starch with the meal. I jokingly fussed at one point when she was adding a 1/4 of a stick of butter to a pot of green beans that were already cooked with bacon and butter...they were really good though!

This is a perfect example of normal healthy eating. I always eat what someone else is serving...no reason to not eat something that isn't up to my "everyday nutritional standards". I had 2 servings of the butter/bacon coated beans! I figured I had eaten well all day, so what if there was a little extra fat in the meal. It's all about balance!

And double dessert?!? Must have been the wine!

What Does a Dietitian Eat? (Day 2)

Tuesday August 25th

• Pre-run snack - a peach and fig
• 4 mile run
• Post-run breakfast - same mango coconut smoothie as yesterday (it was that good!)
• Lunch - turkey sandwich (whole wheat bread with avocado, tomatoes, lettuce, and Laughing Cow Cheese ...all pressed and crispy on my George Foreman); carrots and baba ghanouj (eggplant dip)
• Snack - iced latte from CC's...grande, skim, splash of half&half
• Teach dance 4:30 - 9:30 pm (um try 10:30...long Saintsation practice!)
• Dinner - chicken sate salad (romaine, snow peas, red bell pepper, cilantro, carrots, chicken, and the spicy peanut dip as dressing)
• Snack - watermelon

Notice how much I eat! My dad always says that I must eat like a bird to stay thin, but I don't! I eat a lot! However it is mostly low-calorie/nutrient-dense food...meaning I get the nutrients I need to be healthy from fewer calories.

There is something called the "volumetrics eating plan" where you fill up on foods that are high in volume and low in calories...eat more for less! Foods that are mostly water fit into this plan perfectly...fruits, non-starchy vegetables, skim milk, brothy soups, etc.

I try to eat like that most of the time. Today my smoothie, snacks, and dinner were very nutrient-dense, filling, and also low-calorie. But I also make sure that all my meals have some protein (today - cheese, milk, yogurt, chicken, turkey) and a little healthy fat (today - low-fat cheese, avocado, dressing). Fat and protein have a long-term fullness effect! Fiber does too.

And by the way, my dinner salad was so good...it's this weeks CEiMB recipe, turned into a salad (my favorite thing to do!). I'll be posting the recipe with pictures some time tomorrow.

What Does a Dietitian Eat? (Day 1)

Yesterday the kids at dance were all asking me: "Miss Blair, how do you stay so skinny? What do you eat?" And then they started listing all the things they like to eat, followed by "Is that good for you?" "Are Fruit Loops?" "What about chicken?" "Salad?" You get the picture.

One of the reasons I love teaching dance is that I get to be around kids everyday to model good eating habits. And I'm the one they go to when they have a nutrition question (so they don't have to rely on whatever they read in Seventeen Magazine). I get to help them lose (or gain) weight in a healthy way. I love my job!

One girl said "tell us what you eat everyday"...so here goes! Another week of everything I eat (& do to stay active).

Monday August 24th

• Pre-run snack - 1/2 a peach, a few figs, and a couple of walnuts
• 4 mile run
• Post-run breakfast - 1/2 a peach and a mango coconut smoothie (1/2 c light coconut milk*, 1/2 cup skim milk, 3/4 cup frozen mango, 1/4 cup cottage cheese, 1/4 cup yogurt (mix of Wallaby Vanilla and FAGE 0%), 2 tsp sugar, lots of ice)
• Lunch - small tomato basil panini (homemade pesto, roasted tomatoes, and mozzarella on whole grain bread); cucumbers with hummus
• Snack - iced coffee made with 1/2 cup skim milk, 1 tbsp condensed milk, and splash of half&half
• Teach dance from 3:30 - 9:00 pm
• Dinner - Mexican salad (romaine, corn, tomatoes, green onions, red bell pepper, jicama, avocado with a lime/cilantro/honey vinaigrette) and a bean tamale
• Dessert - watermelon

This is pretty much my breakfast pattern during the summer...a little fruit so my stomach doesn't growl during my run, followed by a smoothie afterwards. The coconut milk isn't something I usually have on hand, but I used it in another recipe and had some leftover...so good!

I try to have veggies at lunch and dinner...but it doesn't always happen at both. Today it did. My snack is usually dairy (in the form of a latte or yogurt) or fruit.

It was a meat free day...Adam (my brother) will definitely disapprove! But I did get lots of protein: milk, cheese, yogurt, beans/hummus. And don't worry Adam, chicken is on the menu tomorrow!

One thing someone said at dance was that they heard salads are bad for you. I'm guessing she heard that salads can have just as many calories as a high fat/calorie meal such as a hamburger and fries. And its true; these days many restaurants think that in order to make a salad taste good, they need to add lots of high fat items - cheese, dressing, nuts, fried crunchy things, fried chicken...this all adds up!

I see salads as a chance to eat lots of veggies in a convenient and delicious way. When someone tells me they had a salad with their lunch and it was made with iceberg, cheese, croutons, and dressing...I say skip it! It's a waste of calories and a missed chance at good nutrition.

As you can see above, my salads are FAR from boring. And I always add as many veggies that "go" with the salad theme. So of course with a Mexican salad, corn, tomatoes, onions, bell pepper, and avocado work. And I've never bought jicama before, but have had it in Mexican salads, so I bought my first. It adds such a great crunch (it has the texture of an apple, but it's not sweet).

Someone also asked "what if you don't like any veggies?" My response? Learn to! They are essential to good health!

But remember, if all of this healthy food wasn't in my kitchen I wouldn't be able to eat it! You have to buy healthy food in order to eat healthy food!

Curried Egg Salad

Egg salad reminds me of Bernadette, my second mom (did you know I have 3 "moms"...my real one, Bernie, and Mel...how lucky am I?). Growing up Bernie was our babysitter/housekeeper and occasionally she would cook for us. My favorite Bernie dishes? "Bernie burgers" with smothered onions, fried chicken, and lima beans. I still love all of them today!

On some days at lunch, she would make egg salad for herself...I didn't eat it though. Her egg & mayo only version was not appealing at all! Kind of ruined egg salad for me.

Skip ahead to last year when I was living in Houston. 101Cookbooks posted a recipe for Curried Egg Salad and my egg salad aversion was broken. I had to try it! It wasn't your average egg salad. This version included toasted pecans, chopped apples, and curry powder! Three of my favorites! And instead of mayo, the recipe used Greek yogurt as the binder.

Over the years, eggs have gotten a bad rap. I get asked all the time whether or not I eat the yolks (that is where all the fat and cholesterol are after all). My reply? Yes and no. When I make an omelet I use half whole eggs and half whites...for a one person omelet I use 3 eggs - 2 whole and 1 white. For this egg salad recipe, I modified the original by using 3 whole eggs and 2 whites. This helps slightly reduce the overall calories and fat grams, but still keeps some of the good nutrition found in the yolks including the healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

One reason many people avoid eggs is because they are high in cholesterol (212 mg in a large egg) - and science used to say that dietary cholesterol raised your blood cholesterol. But now it is believed that saturated fats and trans-fats are what have a greater effect on blood cholesterol; eggs are relatively low in both of these nutrients (0 g trans and 1.5 g saturated in a large egg).

So my advice? Don't eat eggs everyday, but when you do, have one or two of the yolks...if you like them! And don't pay extra money for omega-3 fortified eggs if you don't eat the yolks...money down the drain!

101Cookbooks is also where I learned to boil eggs so that they don't get that gray coat around the yolk (my mom's hb eggs always had that...I thought it was normal!). I've included this method in the recipe.

How do I eat this incredible salad? Either on toasted whole grain bread or in a lettuce wrap (I think butter lettuce is the best for this). Perfect for a quick lunch! And if you don't like curry, here is a plain version.

Curried Egg Salad

adapted from 101Cookbooks.com

Printable Recipe

makes 4 servings

5 eggs

2 teaspoons curry powder

3 - 4 tablespoons Greek yogurt

2 big pinches of salt

2 shallots or 1/2 red onion, diced

1/2 medium apple, diced

1/4 cup pecans, toasted and chopped

*optional: something green...for visual appeal!...chives, green onions, celery leaves

For the eggs: Place the eggs in a pot and cover them with cold water by about an inch. Then bring them to a gentle boil, turn off the heat, cover, and let them sit for 10 minutes. After that cool them in cold (ice) water to stop the cooking...and then crack them open to find a sunny yellow yolk with no gray!

While the eggs cook and cool, combine 3 tablespoons of yogurt, curry powder, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.

Crack and peel each egg, discarding 2 yolks, and place in a medium bowl. Add the onions, apples, pecans, "greenery", and the yogurt mixture. Mash the entire thing with a fork until your desired consistency is reached. If you need to add more yogurt, do so. Taste and re-season with salt if necessary.

Per serving - 136 calories, 8.5 g fat (1.7 g saturated), 7.5 g carbohydrate, 1.7 g fiber, 8.6 g protein (exchanges: 1 1/2 fat, 1 protein, 1/2 veg/fruit/dairy...some type of carb; WW points: 3)

Chicken al Mattone...

Al mattone??? With a Brick of course! The cover recipe of the September edition of Bon Appetit magazine immediately caught my eye. The chicken looked incredible and when I flipped through to find the recipe, I realize it was cooked in an unusual way...under a brick!

I have NEVER cooked an entire chicken (although I have cooked a whole turkey for Christmas dinner with great success) and it has been something I've wanted to do for a while. So I bought an organic chicken from the farmers market and then set out in search of a brick.

I remembered seeing a random brick on the side of my house one day while I was cutting the grass (yes, I cut my own grass!) and sure enough it was still there. I scrubbed it really well and covered it with foil. Ready to cook!

The whole process is really simple...assemble a mixture of olive oil, lemon juice, rosemary, and garlic; rub it all over the chicken; let it marinate overnight (or not!); season with S&P and cook!

There is a little prep work involved with the chicken itself...you have to cut the backbone out. And to do this it really helps to know the difference between the backbone and breast bone...and apparently I do not! I cut the breast bone out and then realizing my mistake went ahead and cut out the backbone too. It actually ended up working out better in the end. The chicken halves fit much better in my pan.

As I implied above, I didn't let the chicken marinate overnight or at all for that matter. I imagine doing so would only improve on the flavor, but if you don't have time, don't bother! One thing to note, you must use a skillet that can go from stove top to oven. My 14" All-Clad fry pan worked perfectly.

The results were incredible. The brick pressed the chicken onto the pan, creating a deliciously crispy skin. The meat was juicy, tender, and flavorful. It was wonderful by itself, but I also added the chicken to salads and sandwiches all week.

This recipe is a keeper...I'll definitely stick with the method but play around with the flavors in the future.

Chicken al Mattone

adapted from Bon Appetit

makes about 5 5-oz serving

1 4 pound whole chicken, backbone cut away and discarded, rinsed, and patted dry

4 tablespoons lemon juice, divided

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped

2 garlic cloves, pressed

salt and pepper

brick wrapped in aluminum foil

• Place butterflied chicken, skin side down, on rimmed baking sheet or dish. Mix 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 tablespoons oil, rosemary, and garlic in small bowl. Rub mixture all over both sides of chicken and under skin. Cover and chill overnight (or not!)
• Preheat oven to 400°F.
  Sprinkle chicken with salt and black pepper. Heat remaining tablespoon of oil in a heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, skin side down, to skillet and cook until golden brown, about 7 minutes (do not turn chicken over). Place foil-wrapped brick (or cast-iron skillet) crosswise atop chicken; roast in oven 30 minutes. Remove brick and turn chicken over; return brick to chicken and continue to roast until juices run clear when thickest part of thigh is pierced, about 15 minutes longer. Remove brick and transfer chicken to platter. Drizzle chicken with remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice.
  
  Per serving (5 oz of white meat, no skin) - 278 calories, 10 g fat (2 g saturated), 1.5 g carbohydrates, o g fiber, 42 g protein (exchanges: 2 fat, 6 protein; WW points: 6)
  Notes - Obviously, if you eat the dark meat and/or the skin the calories and fat grams will increase; try to stick with a 4 - 5 ounce serving...about the size of an iPhone