The Ingredients:

1 Can Tuna

1 T Capers

6 Olives (Kalamata, Gaeta, Castelvetrano… whatever you like.)

5 Slices of Roasted Red Bell Pepper (and 2 T of their water)

1 1/2 T Red Wine Vinegar

2 t Anchovy Paste

1 Fatty Slice of GOOD Bread

2 t EVOO

1 T Chopped Parsley

Here’s the thing: all you have to do is throw the first 6 ingredients in a bowl and toss well. (Actually, mix all the other stuff first, then add the tuna, so it doesn’t get super broken down.) Then, get a pan smokin’ hot, rub 1 teaspoon of EVOO on each side of the bread, and place it in the hot pan. Now DON’T TOUCH IT! Sorry, was that rude? Well you aren’t going to get the char on the bread (that’s right, you want it a little bit burnt) unless you leave it alone. So don’t pull it off the pan until you see a tiny bit of smoke start to happen around the edge of the bread. Now you can plate it: put the topping on the bruschetta and finish with fresh parsley.

I like this recipe for a few reasons:

1. It’s satisfying and filling. You’ve got some protein and a nice piece of bread so you feel like you’re really EATING. It’s kinda like an open faced tuna sandwich… but way better… and without all the mayo.

2. It’s got a ton of flavor without a ton of calories. The water from the peppers lends moisture and flavor and eliminates the need for extra oil. Plus, the capers, olives and anchovy are like little flavor bombs in your mouth… then add the char from the bread and the sweet, roasted peppers and you’ve got yourself some serious complexity.

3. Clearly, it’s super quick and simple…and it’s almost all in my pantry so I can make it on the fly.

4. It’s versatile. It can be lunch…maybe with a cup of soup or something on the side, or you can make it a bit smaller and it can be an appetizer for dinner…maybe to be followed by a little bowl of pasta. (BTW, 4 oz of cooked pasta only has 200 calories. Stick with tomato based sauces and it is, in no way, fattening. It’s only when the portion size is 10 oz and it’s covered in a cream sauce that it’s a big no-no.)

So what’d’ya think? A new lunchtime option?

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The weather is warming up and summer is quickly approaching, so celebrate your body and the season by treating yourself to some fresh fruits and veggies! You may be asking yourself, “Vanessa, why buy fresh?” Well, Skinny Socialites, while canned and frozen varieties are convenient, fresh fruits and vegetables tend to be lower in sugar and sodium (AKA salt) and higher in vitamins and minerals because they are not processed. They also taste yummier and maintain their texture better when they are straight from the farm! In addition, fresh fruits and vegetables make for a great summer snack, dessert, side dish, or even entrée as they are naturally low in calories! Generally speaking, 1 small piece of fruit (think the size of a tennis ball) or 1/2 cup of fresh fruit is ~60 calories. One cup of raw or 1/2 cup cooked vegetables of the non-starchy variety (this excludes beans, corn, peas, potatoes) is only ~25 calories. This makes both great food choices, especially for those individuals who are counting their calories. Now that I have you craving fresh fruits and veggies, let’s talk about the best places to get them, other than the grocery store.

Farmers’ Markets: Farmers pick fruits and vegetables at the peak of ripeness and bring them directly to the market, sometimes as soon as the same day they are picked. This means that the produce is super fresh AND super tasty! The fruits and veggies sold vary by farmer and season; therefore, you will likely find varieties not typically seen in a grocery store. Don’t be afraid to try something new – you may really like it! Plus, you have the added bonus of having the farmer there to ask how the food was raised or even what it is! Whichever may be the case. Visit the website below to learn more about farmers’ markets in Chicago! http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/farmers_market.html

Produce Stands:

If you do not live in proximity of a farmers’ market, keep an eye out for produce stands. They are like mini roadside farmers’ markets — less variety but the same yummy goodness of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Pick-your-own Farms and Orchards:

Appreciate the hard work that goes into harvesting fruits and vegetables by picking your own! This is a great weekend activity to do with friends and family. It is also a fun way to teach your small children where their food comes from.

Your backyard:

Start your own garden! It takes some work and planning to start and maintain a garden, but it could turn out to be your new favorite hobby! You will literally get to eat the fruits of your labor, and there is nothing more convenient or delicious than homegrown fruits and vegetables.

I encourage you all to get outside and enjoy the weather as well as the increased access to fresh fruits and veggies that comes with the season. Happy eating!

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1C Shredded or Julienned Carrots

8 mint leaves, finely sliced

¼ C rice vinegar

2 T agave

2 t red pepper flake

Chicken

1 t oil

1 T lemongrass, finely sliced

1 T Ginger, minced

1 T Garlic, minced

2 scallions, sliced

½ # Ground Chicken

1 1/2 T Fish sauce

1 medium head butter lettuce, for serving

Garnish with Cilantro & Lime Wedges

Serve with Sriraccha on the side

Combine all ingredients slaw ingredients in a bowl and let marinate, stirring occasionally, while you prepare the chicken.

For the chicken, sautee the first 4 ingredients over medium-high heat until fragrant. Add the chicken and let cook, stirring occasionally until nearly cooked through. Add the fish sauce and continue to cook until the chicken is done…another 2 minutes.

To serve, divide the chicken among the lettuce leaves, top with carrot slaw and garnish with fresh cilantro and lime wedges. Serve with Sriraccha for the spice-lovers.

ENJOY!

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Some of the most common brunch cocktails are the Mimosa and Bloody Mary… and often times, we can’t just have one… ESPECIALLY since so many restaurants offer bottomless, or we are the host of a little gathering ourselves and offer pitchers.

Mimosas are pretty standard with Champagne and OJ… but there are a bunch of different ways in which you can mix it up just a hair to offer a little different flavor profile, or to reduce the calories just a tad.

What else to use besides OJ? – Mango or Papaya juice. Mix juices such as pomegranate and tangerine to offer a higher level of antioxidants and to make that morning cocktail just a little more tropical.

Alternatives with Champagne? – Try prosecco (it’s a bit dryer and sweeter than champagne) or try a sparkling Moscato or even a blend like a wine called Roscato (a sparkling sweet red wine).

*Also if you want to reduce some of the calories by the glass… Only fill the glass half way with your Mimosa mixture, and fill the rest with Soda Water. It will keep the bubbles vibrant and still give you the flavor profile you’re looking for to enjoy with your favorite brunch snack.

So this Sunday try the Mimosas, and next Sunday Sippers we can try not only the creativity of a Bloody Mary, and all the ways in which you can make that little salad in glass your own special spicy or mild cocktail creation and really pair it with your bunch munchies.

No matter the day, time, or cocktail…. Raise your glass and drink to your health. Always remember, it’s 5’oclock somewhere Cheers!!!!!

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With swimsuit season right around the corner, most of us have started eating more vegetables than we do during the winter sloth – I mean season. 

Native Foods Cafe is relatively new to Chicago, opening several locations throughout the city in the Loop, Lakeview and Wicker Park. The California-based company offers a completely vegan menu but with unexpected dishes like the “Oklahoma Bacon cheeseburger” and the “Super Italian Meatball Sub” for guilt-free temptation. 

Whether you’re craving pizza, burgers or salads, you’ll find them all made fresh in-house without meat or dairy. If you’re craving a big bowl of comfort — health food style — get the Sesame Kale Macro Bowl. Packed with brown rice, steamed kale, sauerkraut, and tempeh, the simple ingredients dressed with a flavorful ginger sesame sauce are tempting and delicious.

Indulge at Native Foods a few times a week and you’ll feel so good, you’ll buy a second swimsuit.

Native Foods Café 1484 North Milwaukee Avenue. Visit their website for additional locations.

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Assemble the salad first, then poach the egg to finish. Toss the asparagus in a little EVOO, S&P and throw it on the grill (or grill pan if you’re inside). Meanwhile, toss the greens (I like escarole but you can use whatever you prefer) in your favorite vinaigrette. I usually use a combo of red wine vinegar and a little lemon juice with EVOO, S&P. A nice addition might be some minced shallot, a dab of dijon or some fresh herbs like basil, mint or thyme. Add your thinly sliced prosciutto, shaved Parm and grilled asparagus to the plate.

Now poach the egg. Bring a pot of water to a very light simmer. Add a tablespoon of vinegar to the water to help the white coagulate. Crack the egg into a separate bowl so you can drop the egg into the water all at once. Spin the water with spoon and drop the egg into the center of the eye (this helps keep the white tight around the yolk instead of spreading out). Set a 3 minute timer and let the egg poach (just below a simmer). Remove with a slotted spoon after the 3 minutes and place it on your salad. Add a couple grinds of black pepper.

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It seems that spring will never come in temperature, but spring cocktail season is right around the corner. With the weather beginning to reach the 70’s we see that the patios are starting to bustle and those garage door walls that line the streets are starting to raise.

Chicago is not unlike any other northern city as we like to be outside more, get together with friends a little more, and sip our cocktails a little more.

A great trend for summer is the pitcher. So often you’ll see pitchers of various frozen and “on the rocks” cocktails. Ironically, having these cocktails in pitchers can help with keeping your calories a little lighter when it comes to overall consumption… PLUS you get to share with your friends and experiment with a bunch of different flavors while saving a little money on your wallet waistline too!

Some great pitcher ideas to try:

Aperol Spritz – Fill pitcher with ice, then fill ½ Prosecco, ¼ Aperol (Italian Liqueur), Fill with Soda water

Margaritas – Fill pitcher with Ice, fill ½ with Soda Water, ¼ Tequila, 2oz Lime juice, 2oz Agave Nectar

Slim Sweet Tea – Fill pitcher with ice, ¾ with Crystal Light Iced Tea Mix and soda water, ¼ Voli Light Lemon Flavor

Tropical Sangria—Fill pitcher with ice, ¼ Prosecco, ¼ OR-G liqueur, ¼ soda water, 2oz Peach liqueur, fill remainder with equal parts coconut water and oj

No matter the cocktail, beer or shot, raise your glass and drink to your health… And never forget it’s Five o’clock somewhere!

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Brussels sprouts are easily one of my favorite vegetables. That was once something that few people would admit, but things are changing because the once-universally abhorred orbs are on the menus at restaurants across Chicago. From Girl & The Goat to Karyn’s on Green, you can find our cruciferous friends everywhere.  While chefs prepare them in a multitude of ways, they’re almost always cooked, but at Grass Fed, they do sprouts differently.

Grass Fed is a charming steak restaurant in Bucktown with three entrees on the dinner menu: grass fed sirloin steak and a rotating chicken and seafood option. The dinner menu also has a variety of starters and side dishes, such as curried cauliflower, black kale salad and most notably, Brussels sprout salad with smoked almonds, tea-poached raisins and a simple lemon vinaigrette (lunch, $8.00; dinner, $6.00).

The Brussels sprout salad is also available on the dinner menu as a starter or side and on the lunch menu, where it’s perfect for sharing with your dining companions alongside a grass fed burger, grilled steak or fried chicken sandwich.

1721 North Damen Avenue. For more information call 773-342-6000 or visit online.

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Here’s the thing: If/ when I make a dish ‘skinny’, I don’t just replace the high fat/ high calorie ingredients with their low fat/ often-strange and much-less-tasty counterparts. I hate using that stuff. So many times, the ‘low fat’ version of something is flavorless or filled with other ingredients that I probably don’t want in my body anyway… like hydrogenated oil or something.

So, instead, I’d rather just create something all together different with full flavored ingredients that naturally have fewer calories and are naturally low fat. Like this sandwich below. The classic corned beef sandwich is a reuben, right? And while the reuben is DELICIOUS (on occasion), it’s slathered in thousand island dressing (which is basically EXPLODING with calories) and a bunch of butter or other fake fat (like that liquid butter stuff that they use at diners…ick! What is that stuff?) which makes it sit in your stomach (and later, on your ass) like a brick for the entire day.

So here’s what I came up with instead. I kept the rye bread and the corned beef ‘cuz, well, you gotta, but 86′d the heavy mayo dressing all together. To pack a flavor punch, I made an apple, watercress & horseradish slaw, which delivers on sweet, peppery & spicy. Then, I replaced the swiss cheese with smoked gouda… not that gouda is lower in fat, just that it has a stronger flavor so a little will go a long way. It also has a creaminess to it, so we’re not totally loosing that quality in the sandwich. Make sure to slather on the Dijon, too. It’s a good go-to condiment with lots of flavor and virtually no calories. And to get the crispy, toasty bread, I just sprayed a non-stick pan with a little EVOO spray and laid the sandwich right in there. You could use a grill or panino press if you have one… I don’t.

It’s the NEW corned beef sandwich! It’s salty, sweet, smoky, earthy, tangy, peppery, and hot… all at once! Not bad, huh? I think it’s pretty delicious. Give it a go and tell me what you think!

Skinny Corned Beef Sandwich with Watercress, Apple & Horseradish Slaw

(Makes 2 Sandwiches)

2 T             Fresh Horseradish Root (Grated on a box grater)

1               Cameo, Gala or Fuji Apple (Grated on a box grater)

12 sprigs   Watercress

2 T             Light Vinegar such as Champagne

TT              Freshly Ground Black Pepper

4 Slices     Rye Bread

6 Slices     Corned Beef

2 Slices     Smoked Gouda

3 T            Dijon Mustard

Make the slaw by combining the first 5 ingredients. Set aside.

Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat. Spray with olive oil based pan release. Spread the bread with the mustard then place it side by side in the pan. For each sandwich, layer the corned beef on one piece of bread and the Gouda on the other. Cover with a lid and let toast 2-3 minutes or until bread is golden and the cheese has melted. Remove from the pan and fill each sandwich with half of slaw mixture.

Cut and serve!

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Upon my recent arrival back to the Midwest, the first things I said to my parents after getting off the plane were “Hi! How are you!” and “I’m REALLY HUNGRY!” In response, my mom quickly prepared a large lunch that included a second course of sweet treats saved for me from Easter. The containers of goodies filled the table and then my stomach because I had to sample them all, right?! Every time I thought I was done eating, my mom would bring out some other food for me to sample. I finally stopped, looked at her, and said, “My stomach hurts I am so full! Oooh, truffles?! Why am I still eating?!” If you have ever found yourself in a similar situation of overeating and asking “Why am I still eating?!”, then listen up! This is exactly the question we are going to focus on with today’s topic: mindful eating.

The Basics

“Mindfulness is awareness without judgment or criticism [1].” In a nutshell, mindful eating is observing what you are thinking, feeling (both physically and emotionally), and doing while eating. It is a practice that focuses on how you eat versus what you eat. There are no good or bad foods in mindful eating, only experiences and moment-by-moment decisions made based on those direct experiences.

How to Eat Mindfully

Be aware of your external environment. Eliminate distractions to increase awareness. Turn off the TV, put away the cell phone, and stop checking emails. Take note of your plate size, portion size, and eating response to your environment. For example, do you eat more when you are driving or eating straight out of the box or using a bigger plate? Maybe you eat more when you have a food platter or candy dish left in front of you or when you are around certain people.

Be aware of your internal environment. Before eating, think about why you are going to eat. Are you physically hungry, head hungry, or both? Head hunger is any hunger that originates from the shoulders up. This may be the result of sensory triggers, such as the smell, appearance, or temperature of a food. It may also be related to a feeling or emotion (i.e. sadness, stress, boredom). In my recent account, it was a combination. I was hungry, everything looked and smelled good, and all of the foods presented to me were comfort foods that evoked happy memories from my childhood.

Check in with your body, heart, and mind again while you are eating and after you are finished eating. Reflect on what and how much you ate made you feel. Have any feelings or emotions changed? Do you feel overly full?

Eat without judgment. Remove the guilt. Do not place restrictions on what you should eat or how you should feel after you eat a food deemed as ‘unhealthy.’ Instead, get honest with yourself. Do you like the food you are eating? Is it pleasing to the senses? How do you feel physically after eating the food? Does it leave you feeling satisfied? You may find what you are eating is not worth eating at all!

Involve all of the senses. Experience the details of food — what does it look like, smell like, taste like, feel like in your mouth, sound like when you chew it, etc. Allow yourself to appreciate food and the eating experience.

Listen to your body. Pay attention to hunger, fullness, and taste satiety cues. Let them be your guide to when to start and stop eating. It is okay if you choose to ignore these cues, but be aware of why you are choosing to do so. It is also not wrong to eat when you are not hungry, but it is difficult to know when to stop eating when there is no physical hunger to satisfy.

Take your time. Give yourself at least 20 minutes to eat a meal. Become aware of your eating habits and body movements during meals. How are you sitting at the table? How are you holding your fork? Pay attention to how quickly you are chewing and swallowing. Put your fork down between bites, take a few deep breathes, and intermittently reassess your fullness.

Let your observations direct your moment-by-moment decisions. This includes when, what, and how much to eat. Becoming more attuned to how your body, heart, and mind affect your eating habits will lead you to develop a sense and a preference for foods that are pleasing to you and nourishing to your body.

Why I Like It

Mindfulness “can transform boredom into curiosity, distressed restlessness into ease, and negativity into gratitude [1].” It is a teachable skill that promotes self-acceptance and self-awareness, both of which are needed to change habitual patterns of thinking and eating [2]. When you no longer tag yourself or foods as being ‘good’ or ‘bad’, you remove the guilt and self-contempt that often has us running back to food for comfort. Eating becomes less self-perpetuating and more enjoyable. You may even lose weight! 

Where to go if you want to learn more?

The above information is a quick and dirty look at mindful eating. If you like what you read and are interested in learning more, the websites below are a good start!

The Center for Mindful Eating

Eat, drink, and be mindful

Reference:

[1] Bays, J. Mindful Eating. Boston & London: Shambhala; 2009:3.

[2] Fletcher, M. Understanding Mindful Eating. Weight Management Matters. 2010; 7(4):1.

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