Category — What I’m Loving

It’s like a Christmas Miracle, isn’t it? I’m posting here again . . . the last couple of days I’ve felt more like writing about food than about cancer. That’ll change, but for now . . . let’s enjoy a cancercation, shall we?

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I’ve been on a crunchy snack kick lately, and it’s gonna show up in my jeans.  Too many Trader Joe’s Honey Wheat Pretzel Sticks add lbs. to the scale.  So I’ve gotta quit that, on account of needing to eat a few (dozen? trillion?) cookies this month.  So I set out to find a lower-impact crunchy snack, and I rediscovered the rice cake.  I hear you out there, “booooring!” Well, you know there are white-cheddar cakes?  They are reminiscent of Smartfood.  And caramel flavor if you want crunchy + sweet.  And how ’bout the million ways you can top a rice cake – hummus is a particular favorite, as are nut butters, and really any sandwich filling.

But I found a new, new love – corn cakes!   [Read more →]

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Mmmmm Mojo – the “sweet & salty trail mix bars” from Clif.  Now you know I’m a fan of the whole food.  Not so much a fan of the the processed food or the Franken-food . . . but sometimes an apple or banana won’t cut it as a convenient meal-replacement when I’m out and about. 

I have been digging these bars lately – they’re sweet and salty, crunchy and chewy, which hits most of my cravings.  They’re around 200 calories each, but also have 8-10 grams of protein (2-4 grams from nuts, 4-5 grams from soy rice crisps), so they’ll keep you feeling fuller, longer. And although you shouldn’t get into the habit of eating these instead of whole foods, if you’re craving something sweet & salty and/or need a filling snack on the go, these are 70% organic, contain no GMOs, are low-glycemic and have no trans-fats or processed sugars.  So they’re better than a ‘dog at 7-Eleven or a trip through the McD’s drive through, for sure.

I get mine at either Whole Foods or at Trader Joe’s, and right now my favorite flavor is the Mountain Mix. Find out more on Clif’s website.

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Meringues! 

It’s February, one month closer to fewer clothes and lighter loads . . . I won’t lie to you guys, I have a killer sweet tooth.  It’s nearly impossible for me to give up sugar entirely (and then I have the whole “forbidden fruit” thing going on that makes me want it more).  So when I want to indulge, I need to do it strategically.  Sometimes you need the whole enchilada – a brownie, a cookie made with butter, a piece of cake with frosting.  But sometimes you just need a sweet.  Enter the meringue.  They’re made of egg whites, sugar and maybe some cream of tartar.  Nothin’ else.  A pure, naturally fat-free hit of sugar.  You can crunch ‘em, or you can let them melt in your mouth . . . your choice, it’s all good.

The ones I’ve been eating lately are Spaan’s brand, which I picked up at Whole Foods. They’re small meringues, and you can have 14 of them for just 100 calories.  If you’re into quantity, these are for you.  Plus, they come in interesting flavors like lemon and dulce de leche – move over, chocolate and vanilla . . . . swimsuit season, here we come!

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My new love is relatively new to the market – Rachel’s Cottage Cheese.  Some of you may have tried Rachel’s yogurts – they come in funky, exotic flavors (Vanilla Chai, Pomegranate Acai).  I have actually never tried those – I’m such a plain Greek yogurt fan, so I figured I’d save myself from getting hooked on another relatively-expensive indulgence.

But when I saw that Rachel’s was out with some interestingly flavored cottage cheese cups, and that they were each around 130 calories with around 14 grams of protein, it piqued my interest.  I found them last week at the Fresh Pond Whole Foods and I am already on my second batch of them.

So far, I’ve tried the Pomegranate Orange Cranberry, the Pear Mangosteen, the Sundried Tomato Pesto and the Cucumber Dill.  The only two I haven’t been able to find are the Roasted Red Pepper and the Lemon Verbena Berry.  I don’t have a favorite – I love all that I’ve tried and whether I’d reach for sweet or savory depends on my mood at the moment.  They’ve got a nice creamy taste, and because there’re no artificial flavors, the pomegranate and orange tastes like real fruit, the cucumber dill is very fresh and zippy with good veggie/herb flavor, etc.  Almost as if you made it up yourself.

So while I remain a big fan of plain cottage cheese with my own mix-ins, this is a convenient, portion-controlled option, with mix-ins that I wouldn’t necessarily take time to do myself.  I’ve been most often having one as a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack and the protein provides a nice hold-over ’til lunch or dinner.

Here’s the link to Rachel’s Dairy if you want to get the lowdown for yourself . . . .

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I am a Whole Foods sucker.  I think there is a little Sarah Isenberg detector that goes off when I pull into their parking lot:  “Whoop!  Whoop!  Put out your most expensive munchies/probiotic supplements/seasonal chocolates/cheese!”  But today, my impulse-shop paid off in spades.  I have a new love.  This is not new to the market, but new to me . . . . WFM’s own Thai Ginger Marinade.

I was in the Fresh Pond Whole Foods this afternoon and as I sidled up to the fish counter, I was overwhelmed by the tastiest aroma.  After I procured my cod (the Isenberg fish of choice, 24/7), I turned around and visited the nearby guy doing some grilling.  Turns out he had marinated either mah-mahi or swordfish (can’t remember which, I know that neither were Isenberg-approved varieties) in WFM’s Thai Ginger Marinade.  I bought the marinade, untasted, because it smelled so. damn. good.

I re-worked my whole menu tonight around this marinade – we were on deck for cod Veracruz and some accompanying sides in a similar vein, but I went Asian.  I used up some cabbage I’d shredded last night and made my cabbage slaw, then basted my cod fillets with the marinade and poured a little around them in a baking dish.  I baked them, basting every 10 minutes or so, for around 25 minutes.  I also steamed some green beans and made some lo mein.

This marinade knocked my socks off.  The ingredients are simple:  canola oil, shoyu, water, fish sauce, lemon juice, sesame oil, ginger, cliantro, garlic and crushed red pepper.  It’s got a great soy tang, but it’s more complex than your usual soy-saucey sauce – probably because of the fish sauce.  It’s also got a nice deep roasty flavor from the sesame oil, and it’s got a kick to it.  It is strong on cod, so if you’re a cod-purist, it might not be for you.  But it was so good that I put a teaspoon over my green beans.    I could think of 1,000 applications for this stuff – for instance, as a marinade for tofu – then do up a stirfry with loads of veggies and season the whole shebang with more of the marinade.  Or I’m pretty sure it’d be great thinned out a bit (to mellow the flavor, not because it’s viscous) to make a dipping sauce for plain baked or fried tofu triangles.  Or dumplings.  Or to dress your plain Chinese noodles. 

Yum.

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4 words for y’all:  Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Butter.  Not a new product, but new to me.  This stuff is like fall in a jar . . . slightly spicy, super-sweet, loads of pumpkiny flavor.  It’s thick and syrupy in texture, and a little goes a long way. 

I just discovered it on my Wednesday run to TJ’s.  That afternoon, I ate it atop some Fage 0% yogurt, and then sprinkled the whole deal with some toasted pecan pieces that I also picked up at TJ’s that morning.  I’ve had this combo a couple times since – it’s that good.  A nice way to get a sweet fix, but with the benefits of protein from the Fage and some nutty goodness from the pecans.  At 40 cal./tablespoon, it’s not particularly dietetic, but as I said, a little goes a long way – for my approximately 3/4 cup of Fage, a teaspoon drizzled over the top was plenty to sweeten the deal.

This stuff would be fantastic swirled into your a.m. oatmeal, mixed with cream cheese as a spread for bagels or quick-breads, used in between layers of cake, etc. etc. etc.

For more ideas (including some savory options, like salad dressing), look here at a thread from Chowhound, here too.

And while we’re on the subject of Trader Joe’s, did you know that there is a TJ’s Fan site?  There is!

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I was at the Woburn Whole Foods recently, and scoped out their Larabar selection.  They carry the new Tropical Fruit Tart flavored Larabars – have you tried these?  I am in love!  They’re sweeter than the other flavors, a little coconutty, yet a bit tangy with hint of citrus from the orange peel.  Zippier and sunnier than your average Larabar.   And while I consider bars a convenience food, and not a whole food substitute, they do count toward 20% of your DV of Vitamin C and qualify as a full serving of fruit.  So if you’re eating lunch on the go or need a snack to hold you over ’til your next meal . . . I’d highly recommend!

P.S.  If you can’t get Larabars near you, or if you are just a slave to internet commerce like me, Larabars are on sale at Drugstore.com right now.

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