Wednesday, September 30, 2009

The Maine Diner

We had a beautiful (and tasty!) weekend in Wells, Maine. While I forgot to take photos of my favorite meal (a cup of clam chowder, steamers and mussels, and a steamed lobster for$30 at Fisherman's Catch), another great meal was a seafood breakfast at the famous MAINE DINNER.

I had a Maine Crab Benedict, and hubby has a Lobster Roll with coffee (one of my FAVORITE breakfasts). Overall, delicious, and strolling on the seaside way later was beautiful and simply perfect. Maine is not to be missed in the fall!

Friday, September 18, 2009

The Secret of Salad


Salads are so good when made properly. This does NOT mean iceberg lettuce with fat-free dressing drizzled over it -- yuck!

A good salad takes work, but can be a complete, satisfying meal. Here are some of my secrets to making salad delicious and filling.

  1. ALWAYS TOSS THE SALAD IN DRESSING -- If you go to a restaurant, you will have your salad coated evenly in dressing, making each bite delicious. Dieters often try to lower dressing, but you'll end up hungry and unsatisfied. Use a delicous full fat dressing. Just use a little bit (the serving size) and toss the salad until every leaf is coated.
  2. ARUGULA -- This little tasty green adds a real punch to salad, and is my all-time favorite base for salad.
  3. ROASTED VEGGIES -- Take all your leftover veggies and roast them, let them cool and toss them in. The more stuff, the better. Make your salad lively and interesting!
  4. PROTEIN -- Always add a protein to a salad. Whether nuts (almonds, pecans, walnuts), seeds (soy beans, sunflower seeds, flax) or meat (I often use shrimp), a salad will never satisfy as a full meal without protein.
My salad today is so incredibly delicious. I took all my aging CSA veggies (corn, red peppers, onions, yellow string beans), cut, washed, and roasted them. The last five minutes, I threw some chopped garlic on them to roast. Then, I combined green lettuce and organic arugula. Finally, I added steamed shrimp, and toasted in a Caesar Dressing. No, it wasn't fat-free, but it shouldn't be! It's my lunch, and it not only will tide me over until dinner, but it tastes AMAZING....

Bon Appetit!