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)