Homemade Caesar Salad

This week was the first share of crops that I received from Beausol Gardens' CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program. I got a variety of greens including Romaine, therefore I decided to make a homemade Caesar salad. I must say, I was a little nervous about making a Caesar dressing from scratch. The thought of having anchovies in a dressing never bothered me but dealing with em face to face was a little nerve racking. I did find some Caesar dressing recipes that excluded the anchovies, however if I was going to make Caesar then I was going to do it right.

After thumbing through a variety of recipes, I decided to combine two different recipes. One from Tyler Florence and the other from Robin Miller. They can both be found on theFoodNetwork.com. I liked the simplicity of Tyler's recipe however did not want to add two whole egg yolks to the dressing. Therefore, I excluded the egg yolks and added Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce as seen in Robin's recipe.

The dressing ended up being light and really flavorful. Ronnie and I really enjoyed it. I'm glad that I conquered the fear of cooking with anchovies because I have added this dressing to the collection of favorites. So here it is...

Croutons:
4 pieces of whole wheat bread
Extra virigin olive oil

Preheat oven to 400º. Chop bread into cubes. Place bread in a bowl and drizzle olive oil over the bread. Toss to cover. Spread bread over a baking sheet and bake for 15 mins or until golden brown.

Dressing Recipe:
1 Lemon, zested and juiced
2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan
1 garlic cloves (minced)
2 anchovies
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Romaine lettuce

Mash anchovies. Then, add garlic, lemon juice and zest in a bowl and whisk. While whisking, gradually pour in the EVOO. Continue to whisk until emulsified. Stir in the cheese and season with salt and pepper. Gradually pour dressing over greens. I like to add a little at a time so I don't over drench the greens. Toss to coat. Add croutons and any additional cheese, salt or pepper (if needed).

Re-usable Sandwich & Snack Bag

Taking your lunch into work everyday saves money as well as helps you to stay healthy. Although the amount of garbage produced from take home lunch may be less than take out, there is still the plastic baggies that are left to throw away. It bothers me that I am throwing away baggies daily.

I contacted my cousin who has a sewing business, FrayBaby, and asked if she could fulfill a special request to make a re-usable sandwich bag. She created bags out of a fabric that is functional for carrying food and is waterproof and anti-microbial. To clean the bags, just flip them inside out and wipe clean or throw them in the washing machine. The bags are both machine washable and dryer safe.

The bags come in various colors and patterns and can hold a big sandwich or any other foods such as fruits or crackers. Its a perfect solution! She is also fulfilling a special request for some man-fabric sandwich bags so that Ronnie doesn't kill me when I send him to work with a pink flowery sandwich bag. These sandwich bags make bringing lunch to work even more cost efficient. You will no longer have to continually buy little plastic baggies and it's eco-friendly! Plus, they look good too.

Click here to order a sandwich bag or check out other FrayBaby products on Etsy.

YouBar Review

I learned about YouBars from a fellow blogger and friend, OneGillianReasons. I try to avoid packaged foods however was very impressed with YouBar's ingredients. It has no artificial flavorings, no high fructose corn syrup and they even offer stevia and spirilina for their customized bars. YouBar sent me three bars to try out myself...

Great Date with Chocolate: This bar was my favorite. The bar tasted really good and was satisfying. It made me realize how much I like dates! I ate if for breakfast one morning and never felt hungry again until lunch. The bar is a sticky but good none-the-less.

Ingredients: Organic dates, Why Protein Isolate, Organic Honey, Cocoa.

Nutritional Facts: 140 calories, 0.5g of saturated fat, 4g of fiber, 24f of sugar, 8g of protein

Honey Cashew: I was not as excited about this bar. It had a powdery texture that crumbled in my mouth. Although, it did have a nice crunch. The taste reminded me of the typical breakfast/health bar however I'm much more pleased with the ingredients in this bar than most.

Ingredients: Cashew Butter, Honey, Whey Protein, Nutty Rice Cereal, Organic Honey.

Nutritional Facts: 220 calories, 2.5g of saturated fat, 1g of fiber, 7g of sugar, 10g of protein

Breakfast Bars:This bar was comparable to the Great Date with Chocolate. I like this bar because it is great when I’m running late to work and need breakfast on the go. It’s never good to skip breakfast so this is a perfect solution. The best part about this bar is that it didn’t leave my stomach growling at 10am.

Ingredients: Deglet noor dates, Egg white powder, Honey, Cocoa Powder, Instant Coffee Crystals (caffeinated), Cinnamon.

Nutritional facts: 150 calories, 0.5g of saturated fat, 4g fiber, 24g sugar, 8g of protein

One of the coolest parts about this company is that you can design your own bar. Click here and go to “Build-a-Bar” to get started making your own. This customization also allow you to view the nutritional facts of you customized bar so you can monitor the nutrient content.

I recommend everyone to at least try these bars. The bars are a bit expensive but you are paying for quality ingredients. To get a 5% discount on a YouBar purchase just type in “TheHungryRoot” as your coupon code in the shopping cart.

Back to Blog

So over the past several weeks have I have been occupied with school work, work work, vacation and even a couple days of fighting the flu. Consequently my blog has suffered. Well I'm back! I just got my first share of crops from the CSA this week; I will be starting my nutrition class in a couple weeks and Ronnie and I are looking to make an offer on a house soon. I have lots going on and lots to blog about so stay tuned...

Healthy Convenience

Typically, my fiancé, Ronnie, and I cook dinner every night except for Friday when we go out to our favorite sushi restaurant, Shiki Sushi. However, there are those times when you don’t have the time to cook and it’s easier to grab/pick something up. The problem with getting something on the go is that convenience, inexpensive and health sometimes don’t go hand in hand however it is possible. Here are a couple of my favorite picks in the Raleigh area…

The Flying Biscuit just recently opened up in Cameron Village. They serve breakfast at all times and offer vegan and vegetarian options. Ronnie likes it because his favorite meal is breakfast and they offer healthier alternatives such as turkey bacon as opposed to bacon. I’m a lunch/dinner type of girl and was very pleased with their veggie burger. It was a little too thin (I still like a thick burger even if its not meat) however the spices tasted great. They also offer black bean cakes with salsa that I’m excited to try out next time.

Neomande is a Lebanese and Mediterranean café and market. They have the best hummus that I have ever had. In addition, their pita bread has no preservatives or sugar. It only contains four ingredients – flour, yeast, salt and water. Other delicious items are their black bean and garbanzo bean salad as well as their cous cous. Ronnie loves their chicken kabobs. You can eat in, take out or even buy containers of hummus, dips or salads to stick in the fridge as easy and quick bites for the week.

Current Reading

I have picked up a new book, Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health by Marion Nestle. I'm only a few pages in however I'm already fascinated. The book explores the food industry's push for us to "eat more food, more often and in large portions" - with no regard to our weight or health.

I will create a new post about the book once I'm done reading it however I can tell you already that it is a easy read with interesting and important information.

Click here for more information.

Tea Guys

I absolutely love tea and always have. I remember my mom used to make me orange spiced tea when I was younger and I would mix in some milk and sugar. Today, I usually drink my tea plain with a couple drops of Stevia.

This past Christmas, I got a glass tea pot with infuser as a gift. This tea pot allows me to use loose tea as opposed to tea bags. I was really excited to use it but I needed some loose tea. So, I went online and found the company, Tea Guys. They specialize in organic loose tea and have a wide variety of teas - green, black, herbal and fruit.

Last winter, I purchased the Wild Blueberry, Organic Gunpowder Mint, Ceylon Select OP and the Chamomile Honey Citrus. The website gives a description of each tea which is nice. For example, I know that the Chamomile is good for night time because its calming. My favorite one that I ordered was the Organic Gunpowder Mint. I just ordered some more tea because I wanted to restock on the Gunpowder and I'm really excited to try out the new flavors. This time around I ordered Coconut Truffle, Key Lime Pie, Ginger Darjeeling Peach, Green Walnut, Carrot Cake and of course the Gunpowder.

These teas are not only a delicious treat that can be served hot or cold but they are also good for you! According to the website, Your Total Health:

Tea contains antioxidants. Tea's antioxidants protect your body from the ravages of aging and the effects of pollution.

Tea has less caffenie than coffee. Coffee usually has 2-3 times the caffenie of tea.

Tea may reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke. Drinking tea may help keep your artieries smooth and clog-free.

Tea protects your bones. One study that compared tea drinkers with non-drinkers, found that people drank tea for 10 or more years had the strongest bones...The authors suggest that this may be the work of tea's many beneficial phytochemicals.

Tea gives you a sweet smile. Tea itself actually contains fluoride and tannins that may keep plaque at bay.

Tea bolsters your immune defenses. Drinking tea may help your body's immune system fight off infection. When 21 volunteers drank either five cups of tea or coffee each day for four weeks, researchers saw higher immune system activity in the blood of the tea drinkers.

Tea protects against cancer. Thank the polyphenols, the antioxidants found in tea, once again for their cancer-fighting effects.

Tea help keep you hydrated.

Tea is calorie-free. Tea doesn't have any calories, unless you add Sweetener or milk. If you're looking for a satisfying, calorie free beverage, tea is a top choice.

Tea increases your metabolism. Green tea has been shown to actually increase metabolic rate so that you can burn 70-80 additional calories by drinking just five cups of green tea per day.

You don't have to buy a tea infuser and loose tea to be able to enjoy a cup. One brand of bagged tea that is available in grocery stores that I really enjoy is Yogi Tea. They have a wide selection and also provide descriptions for their different teas.

Check out Tea Guys

Check out Yogi Tea

Read full article at Your Total Health