Healthy and Sane

Quick and cheap: egg salad BLT

April 18th, 2012

Hi friends, how’s life? Did you watch the Boston Marathon? I’m always so proud that this amazing race is in my city. And since I live very close to the finish line, I always get a little emotional seeing all the runners. I know how close they are to this incredible accomplishment and I’m so so excited for them!

Anyways, the marathon was the highlight of my week so far but the rest of the week as always revolved around food. Since I do a lot of recipe testing for my express lunch time lessons, I wanted to share one of my favorite quick and cheap recipes that’s perfect for lunch or a casual dinner – an egg salad BLT. This recipe was originally featured in Best of Cooking Light and it was love at first bite. I adore how light yet creamy the egg salad is, and the addition of lemon zest really brightens it up. Also, I’ve used nonfat Greek yogurt in place of sour cream on many occasions and it works wonderfully.

Side note: Martha Stewart’s method for hard-boiled eggs creates perfect eggs every time.

The best part? The contrast between creamy eggs, juicy tomatoes and crispy, salty, smoky bacon. Oh yes!

What are your favorite quick and cheap recipes? Please share with all of us in the comments!

Farm school brunch and how I was inspired to sign up for a CSA (and you should too!!)

April 9th, 2012

Hi friends! Before I dive into a post about a super special brunch I attended a few weeks ago (as well as provide you with some info on why you should support your local farm by signing up for a CSA – just like I did!), I wanted to say a huge THANK YOU for all the incredible comments and best wishes on my new business venture. Through my private healthy cooking lessons I hope to make Boston a healthier place and I am really thankful for all of you that took the time to say something nice to me and even spread the word. So yeah, thanks!!!

If you live in the Boston area, you definitely know about Boston Brunchers – a group established by Renee of Eat.Live.Blog that has grown to over 300 local food bloggers. Pretty amazing! And if you don’t live in the area, well you know what it’s all about now… and don’t worry – there is still some good info for you here (and some drool-worthy food photos and even cute animal pics!) Smile I haven’t been out with Boston Brunchers since a fabulous brunch at The Cottage, but this Farm School brunch was extra special.

[Pastries from Iggy’s]

What’s a Farm School? Well, I’m glad you asked my friends Winking smile The Farm School is actually 2 farms located in Athol, MA (about 1.5hrs from Boston) – one providing 2.5-day programs to visiting schools, involving kids on whatever is need on the farm during those days. The kids get the real hands-on farm experience for just a few days and hopefully a new appreciation for fresh produce and humanely raised animals. Most of the food on this farm is grown to just to feed all the visitors (they get about 1,500 children every school year!). The second farm offers a one-year learn to farm program for adult students that want to live on a farm for a year and learn all the ins and outs of becoming a farmer. This farm grows organic produce, meat and eggs sold to CSA members and farmers market. Pretty amazing stuff!!

[Bloggers mingling before we sit down for brunch]

[Farm fresh eggs]

[Adorable animals from the farm. Omg I want to die - these are so cute!!]

[Maple tree planks used as serving plates]

Our hosts for the day:

Brunch time!

Peach Bellini from peaches from the farm (I couldn’t say no to that!)

Pork belly two ways

Pork schnitzel, adirondack red pototoes, soft boiled eggs with dill holondaise and sauteed spinach which was so sweet (naturally) that it seemed like a completely different species. And can you see how bright yellow this egg yolk is?

Boston Brunchers brunching Smile

Last course: maple bread pudding made with Iggy’s brioche bread and Farm Schools eggs and maple syrup

The food was seriously outstanding! Obviously the recipes were fabulous but I would largely contribute this to the high quality of ingredients. Every bite was incredible but I was especially surprised by the spinach and the potatoes. They seemed so simple but I honestly have never had spinach and potatoes this delicious. Farm School grows 30 kinds of vegetables and 100 varieties. This is one of my favorite benefits of eating locally – you get to experience artisanal produce, varieties of fruits and vegetables that have been mostly lost to mass production.

I left the brunch with a high (it was also an unseasonably warm day out so everyone was extra happy soaking up the sunshine). I’ve been thinking for a long time about signing up for a produce CSA but was too nervous about getting a box of onions or other produce I had no use for. Actually speaking to the farmers and learning about the programs this particular farm supports, as well as literally tasting the difference, made me reconsider. Here are the pros and cons of a produce CSA as I see them.

Cons:

Expensive compared to supermarket produce + you pay upfront for the season (this covers seed money and pay for the farmers)
Quantities fluctuate depending on the weather and how bountiful the season is
Most CSA boxes are pre-packed so someone else decides what you’ll be eating that week.
You may get produce you do not enjoy or know what to do with, which may contribute to food waste.

Pros:

Your money goes directly to the farmers, cutting out the middle man.
You are essentially a small shareholder of the farm for the season, so if the season is especially bountiful, you get to reap the benefits
You get to support your local economy and a farm you believe in, in a way that may not be available otherwise (outside of the CSAs, Farm School for example only sells produce at the Belmont farmers market which is not convenient for me).
Since the food is grown and distributed locally, it is picked at the peak of its freshness – which is extra delicious and nutritious (compared to imported produce that is picked when it’s still green and ripens in trucks and grocery stores. Green bananas and avocados are my biggest pet peeve ever.)
If you buy most of your produce at farmers markets, it should actually be cheaper.
You may try new types of produce or varieties of your favorites you’ve never even seen before!
Pre-packed boxes add a challenge. This could be a great way to be “forced” to experiment in the kitchen. I’m up for it!

I’ve been thinking of taking the plunge for a while, but what really sold me on Farm School was that they actually have the option of picking your own box for the week. I love that! They basically set up a farmers market type stall (specifically for CSA members), and you get to choose your own 10 different veggies for the week. No onions for me!

I also love that all the produce is organic. I checked other organic farms in the area offering CSAs, and Atlas Farms is cheaper but does not have a pick up location in or near Boston. They do have a stall at the Copley farmers market so I’ll still be able to support them if I need to supplement my loot from Farm School (Sienna Farms is amazing but is in contrast a lot more expensive).

So there you have it. This brunch (which by the way was complementary… obviously, they don’t even offer brunch normally) was incredibly inspiring. I am so happy to have met the people behind my future summer produce and to have had the opportunity to share what they are doing with you!

Hope your week is off to a lovely start!! See you soon, I promise!

It’s finally here–introducing Satisfied Cravings!

March 22nd, 2012

I’ve dreamed of writing this post before I even knew exactly what that meant.

You as my loyal readers already know about last year’s decision to quit my job in finance. Most of us spend more time at work than with our families and friends. It takes up most of our waking hours and whether we like it or not, it’s part of us. I took my job home with me (even when I wasn’t officially working, I was worrying about it, complaining about it, and even laughing about it… when that was the only thing to do to stay sane). After quitting, this huge part of my identity was gone. I felt happy but also a little lost.

Although it seemed like eternity at the time, luckily it only took me a month to figure out that my Cooking Matters classes were the highlight of every week. And not only did I love to be a part of my students’ healthier future, I also realized that after years of healthy cooking for myself and my family and friends, I was actually damn good at it. I realized how many tips and tricks I had up my sleeve. How so many of us struggle with the same exact things in our attempts to eat healthier, and that through first hand experience – I figured out solutions to these things!

So I decided to make a career out of helping people eat healthier through hands-on cooking classes! And that’s how Satisfied Cravings was born!!

It’s pretty much impossible to put into words how excited I am to finally launch my little business! I’ll be doing private (or semi-private) express lessons out of my Back Bay condo. I hope that business people in the area (like I used to be!) and stay-at-home moms will want to make the most of their lunch breaks and make healthy lunch + dinner with me. We’ll key in on their current healthy eating challenges and make meals that will be customized specifically to meet their needs and taste preferences. I would have loved such an escape from the office back in the day and more time for rest or fun at night! I’ll also be hosting cooking parties at clients’ houses during which we can work on specific skills or just make fun dishes in a more social setting.

I can’t wait!!

Thank you all of your support on Healthy and Sane. Without this blog, I am not sure if I would have developed this passion for healthy cooking. And a special thank you to my sister, Adam and all the friends that read numerous drafts of the website and provided valuable feedback. By the way, I will continue blogging here – no worries!

I hope you guys have a chance to check out the Satisfied Cravings website. I’d love to have you in my class some day and would really appreciate it if you could pass on the link to anyone you think might be interested in my services. Thanks in advance – I need all the help spreading the word I can get!! Open-mouthed smile