The January Blues

I'm trying to ease into a diet. I'm sure you can tell immediately how well I'm doing. The problem with having gone to culinary school is that I'm usually able to make a meal out of anything left in the fridge. And it's not usually very healthy...

Real florist work here: processing 1,000 roses. It smelled fantastic. My arms look like the cat clawed up me

Fried Bacon and Egg Sandwich

Try it with any cheese combo that sounds good. Blue cheese or cheddar would be a big winner here. 

• 2 pieces of bread
• 1 tsp canola oil
• 3 pieces of bacon
• 1 egg
• 2 tbl cream cheese
• 1 slice havarti
• 2 slices gruyere
• 1 scallion, cut on the diagonal

Toast your bread. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add canola oil. Fry bacon in hot oil until crispy on both sides- about 3 minutes on each. Drain on some paper towels. Crack egg into a small bowl. Pour egg into hot bacon fat and fry for about 3 minutes. Finish the eggs by seasoning with salt and pepper and spooning the bacon fat over the egg yolk. If desired, drain the egg on more paper towel. Smear the cream cheese on the toast and top with the cheese. If necessary, throw the toast back into the toaster/ under broiler to melt the cheese. Top the cheese with a few pieces of scallion and the fried egg. 

Lunch Salads

My co-workers always want to know what I'm having for lunch. It usually leads to a soliloquy on How Easy it Was and Oh, These Are Just Some Done-Up Leftovers. My boss recently asked me, in all seriousness: "Do you cook.... every day?" Yeah! Don't you?

Well for those who can't wrap their heads around bringing in lunch from home, here are a few of my recent salads. I love a good salad. 

cherry tomatoes + crumbled bacon +chopped walnuts + avocado + spinach + honey balsamic vinaigrette

Tip: Cook the bacon in a 400 degree oven on a cookie rack placed over some aluminum foil on a cookie sheet. Takes about 15-20 minutes and won't smoke up your kitchen!

broconcini + roasted peppers with capers + slice of Great Harvest bread + baby carrots

Tip: These peppers are better the following day so they make a great lunch

cherry tomatoes + roasted red peppers + black olives + assorted cheeses + assorted deli meats + lemon vinaigrette + spinach

Tip: Raid your office's fridge! This was all leftover from a social event and I happened to have spinach. Free lunch!

spinach + roasted beets + toasted pine nuts + goat cheese + fried egg

Tip: Okay, so I did this salad at home because even I can't fry an egg at the office.. But I roasted the beets the day before while making dinner so all I had to do was peel the skins off and BAM: delicious salad

General Tips:

• Clean, shred and bag your salad a day or two early. I like to keep my leafy greens at the ready in a large ziploc bag with a paper towel thrown in to absorb excess moisture. Romaine and spinach will hold up rather well and spinach is super good for you!
• Make a big batch of vinaigrette in a mason jar. I happen to love a honey balsamic vinaigrette and can make do with only that option so whenever I make some, I usually make a lot so I have it on hand. Not that it's hard to make: In a mason jar combine 1 tsp dijon mustard, 1 tsp honey, a few cracks of pepper, pinch of salt, 1 finger of balsamic vinegar and 3 fingers of olive oil. Seal the mason jar and shake to combine. 
• Aaah Nuts! I will add nuts to just about every salad, especially if it doesn't contain any other kind of protein. I have just about every nut out there and keep them fresh by freezing them. Don't let your nuts get rancid in your cupboard! 
• Get some small Tupperware and sandwich bags. If you don't want to take a whole mason jar worth of dressing to work, put it in a tiny Tupperware container. These are also handy for transporting things like hummus, olives ect. I use my sandwich bags for toast (when the salad doesn't seem hearty enough to get me through the day), baby carrots, snacking nuts, crumbled bacon bits, roasted pumpkin seeds- cookies! 
• Have dessert. I'm definitely not a chocoholic nor do I have a big sweet tooth but I have to admit that I'm a happier person if I finish my meal with something sweet. And it doesn't have to be big or "bad for you". I'm quite content with a piece of bittersweet chocolate or peach black tea sweetened with some honey. Treat yo'self