Healthy Chicks

Last night, I was lucky enough to be invited to Just Add Cooking’s media event at Sur La Table in Back Bay. It was a lovely evening filled with an interactive cooking class, mingling, and of course wine & cheese!

JUST ADD COOKING INS & OUTS

For those of you who don’t know, Just Add Cooking is a Boston-based meal delivery service, which takes the stress out of cooking! Each week, subscribers choose from 7 different recipes (ranging from pork and beef to fish and vegetarian entrees) and a box is delivered straight to your door with everything you need to cook.

The best part? Everything is pre-portioned, right down to the teaspoon of cumin or 6 oz. piece of fish so all you need to do — literally — is add cooking. Not to mention, they do their best to source everything local as best they can, which I’m obviously all for! (Note: you won’t want to miss the giveaway & discount code offered at the end of this post.)

COOKING CLASS AT SUR LA TABLE

Yesterday evening, us lucky bloggers got to tackle one of the JAC recipes from start to finish! We made the Seared Prawns with … Read More!

I have a confession: While I do love eating healthy meals + cooking, sometimes I just don’t feel like putting in the work. Ever since I started working a full-time job, I’ve found it a bit trickier to do as much home cooking as I used to do.

To be honest, sometimes when I come home from a long day, all I want to do is put up my feet, plop on the couch, grab a cup of tea (or a glass of vino) and order takeout sushi. I’m a real girl, after all.

That’s why when I heard about Boston start-up Just Add Cooking (JAC), which delivers pre-portioned meals to your door all ready to go, I was intruiged.

The Scoop

Just Add Cooking is exactly what it sounds like: a meal delivery service that takes the stress out of cooking. Instead of worrying about the stress of prepping and grocery shopping, you can really focus on the fun part, that is cooking.

You get to hand-pick which recipes you + your fam will love, and then the friendly folks from JAC deliver a box of fresh, locally-sourced ingredients directly to your door each week, chock-full of … Read More!

Good afternoon ladies! Hope you are all having a beautiful start to your week so far, remembering to relax and take time for YOU (something we forget to do far too often).

I’m happy to finally be back in Boston, as I feel like I’ve been living out of a bag for the past week with my trip to DC and last-minute visit to my parents in CT this weekend.

On the other hand, I have to admit it was quite lovely being home for a couple days. I spent the last few days celebrating a good friend’s birthday with mimosas & brunch (the eggs with smoked salmon and asparagus were to-die-for), getting pedis with the ladies, cooking in my parent’s brand new gorgeous kitchen, and lots and lots of unplugging.

Speaking of cooking, I always have a blast cooking at my parents’ house, since The Boy and I pretty much have a box for a kitchen and no, I’m not joking (Think: zero counter space, no dishwasher, etc). The problem is: we both love to cook and do lots of it, which leads to knocking elbows, silly arguments and unnecessary stress. Not to mention, we also both love … Read More!

Yesterday, my roommate came home from a long day at work, and asked me to the usual question, “What should I have for dinner?” As I listed off a bunch of foods, she continued to say she either didn’t have the ingredients or was simply sick of that concoction. After all, she always sticks with the same exact thing: sweet potato with salad, pasta with toast or a turkey burger. After a long day of work, it’s hard to get creative in the kitchen; I hear you. I too sometimes find myself getting into the routine of eating the same exact thing every day…simply because it works. Eggs or oatmeal for breakfast, big salad for lunch, chicken and veggies for dinner. While it’s easy to get caught up in a comfortable routine in the kitchen, it’s way more fun to spice it up. And with the right tips, you can spice up your fridge and pantry pain-free! 

Try At Least One New Item Every Week: The other day, I bought spaghetti squash (something I never buy) to make “Spaghetti & Meatballs.” It was so refreshing to enjoy an out-of-the-norm, nutritious meal for a change, and it came out absolutely delicious. … Read More!

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Thanksgiving is just around the corner, but let’s be honest: I’ve been thinking about it since early October, and I’m already thinking about Christmas. Hey, it’s the malls fault for being all decorated and pretty with lights and Christmas trees. But when it’s all said and done, Thanksgiving is and always has been my absolute favorite holiday. The delicious smells, the wonderful feeling of family and the fact that I go into a turkey coma every year (no matter how much I tell myself to slow down) is all part of the joy of Thanksgiving. 

But even though I almost always have to unbutton my pants come dessert, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t try to keep my Thanksgiving just a bit healthier. After all, I’m not trying to gain 10 pounds in one sitting and feel like absolute crap the next day. That would be doing my body no good. So this year in particular, I’m working on adding a little extra healthy oomph to my favorite holiday, and that I will share with you…

#1 I’m running my first ever Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day: I’ll be running the 5-mile Manchester Road Race, … Read More!

Calling all local-lovers, environmental enthusiasts, health freaks, foodies and hungry people alike. This Saturday, Oct. 2nd is the First Annual Boston Local Food Festival.  No, this isn’t just your everyday Farmer’s Market or rinky-dink fair; this is a one-of-a-kind festival to remember! The delicious outdoor festival will take place at Boston’s Fort Point Channel from Congress St. Bridge, the Boston Children’s Museum up to the Moakley Bridge at Northern Avenue. Did I mention that there’s FREE admission? Yup, not cost to come!

Still not convinced? Well I’ll let you in on some insider highlights that’ll have you drop your Saturday cartoons and lazy couch potato lounging in a jiffy. Not to mention, I am one of their featured bloggers (take a peak) and am also volunteering on the day of the event, so you should definitely come say hi! 

Some hot highlights of the event: 

1. Prime location: Yes, you saw the directions. That means a whole afternoon filled with waterfront fun…can’t beat that. Shop, eat, and laugh the day away with your friends and family in the midst of the lovely Boston fall scenery! 

2. Budget-Friendly: You heard that right. Not only do you get to sample delectable food … Read More!

Tonight for dinner I made one of my favorite quick and easy dishes:  Light ‘n’ Healthy Summer Pasta (or shall I call it Fall pasta?) Really, a dish like this can be made every season, with minor veggie variations of course. Anyway, back to the point: as I was running around boiling the water and sautéing my veggies, I thought about how terrible it’d be if I didn’t have some extremely vital kitchen staples. You know, the things you take for granted when cooking but it’d be a complete kitchen nightmare if suddenly you were all out. Yes, those lovely lifesavers. Anyway, I put a quick list together of my personal gotta-have-it supplies and thought I’d share with you fine ladies!

1. Extra Virgin Olive Oil- The perfect “dressing” for a salad, the best and only way to cook veggies, and the most wonderful combination with pasta. EVOO is definitely a MUST in my book (er…kitchen). 

2. Fresh herbs: I always like to have a few fresh herbs around the house. Right now I have basil and dill, but I like to change it up depending on what I’m cooking that week. Other faves are cilantro, parsley, mint leaves, and … Read More!

You asked for it, so here it is! I modified a fatty recipe my aunt had given me for eggplant lasagna, using eggplant instead of noodles. Nifty, huh? Anyway, after some big changes to the recipe (i.e. using tofu instead of ricotta cheese), this recipe turned out to be a winner! Note: it’s not the “prettiest” looking picture but boy does it taste amazing. Serve with a side salad. 

*serves 3-4 

-1 large eggplant, peeled and sliced very thin (think: substituting for lasagna noodles)

-8 oz. frozen organic spinach

-2 TB olive oil 

-2 cloves garlic, crushed

-1 egg, beaten

-1/2 block firm tofu, chopped and mashed

-4 to 6 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, shredded

-1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese

-2 TB dried basil

-1 c. of your favorite tomato sauce (with garlic and/or spices)

-salt and pepper to taste 

1. Prepare eggplant, cutting extremely thin slices. Lightly saute on medium heat for a few minutes in a large pan with olive oil. Remove and set aside.

2. Once removed, saute spinach and garlic in same pan in olive oil for about 5 minutes. Combine egg, cheeses, and bail and mix together until blended. Note: the tofu should crumble up … Read More!