Killer Discovery: SkinnyTaste.com & Chicken Rollatini

With Quinn leaving for Santa Barbara in a few short weeks, I have been scouring cookbooks and food blogs for light and healthy meals. While I still have friends and family available to taste my culinary conquests, I will be cooking solo more often. In my research I came across a food  blog that may soon become a recipe mecca: SkinnyTaste.com

After saving many of SkinnyTaste's recipes for a later date, I set my sights upon "Chicken Rollatini with Spinach all Parmigiana". SkinnyTaste notes not only the calories per serving, but also Weight Watchers points (if you're into that), but also grams of fat, protein, carbohydrates, and fiber. This is definitely something I would like to attempt with my recipes -- slashing unnecessary calories without forfeiting quality and taste.

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Healthy Eats: M Street Kitchen

Since I moved into my own apartment a few months ago, my mom and I try to see a movie or have dinner once a week to play catch up. It's been fun to explore Santa Monica for new restaurants to try, especially with so many Californian cuisine options. Westside locals are hot for anything organic, vegan or diet friendly, and M Street Kitchen is no exception.

At the edge of the oh-so-hip Main Street just minutes from my apartment, M Street Kitchen has heated outdoor seating and a cozy, layered indoor area. Our sinewy, dread-locked waiter had to have been a model and paid the utmost attention to us despite the place being packed. I had a glass of the riesling (my standby) and my mom found a jazzed-up version of her favorite drink, "Shakin' Lemonade": ketel one, lemonade, and rosemary served in a jar (how very LA).

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Healthy Eats: Breakfast For Dinner

Though most days I come home eager to try out some new culinary feat, occasionally a 50 hour work week, June gloom and a good ol' case of the doldrums can weaken my motivation. Last night I came home fully expecting to whip up something as equally uninspiring as my day. I considered my ultimate comfort food, caprese, but noticed my fridge has been rather neglected as of late. As I settled in to make scrambled eggs with some veggies, I had an epiphany. Why not make a frittata? My kitchen, however, is still vastly under-equipped since the big move, so I scoured the shelves for a suitable baking dish. Nestled in the back was my cupcake tin, sullenly neglected for months. I dashed into the living room to inform Quinn of my newest endeavor: mini frittatas!

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Healthy Eats: Fettucini Alfredo with Spinach & Mushroom

 

At dinner the other night, my precocious little brother Louis asked me, "Why does it take adults so long to order?" I thought about that for a moment. When I was his age, the three main meals I accepted without a fuss were mac&cheese, spaghetti with meatballs and chicken tenders. I was not adventurous with my palette, nor did I find any reason to listen to my parents when they told me that I would like something new. I told him that as you get older, your tastes expand and so more items on the menu seem appealing. For example, I am currently addicted to mushrooms of any sort, so I took several minutes debating over my usual pick of pasta (carbonara, bolognese, amatriciana) or grilled veggies. (I ended up with the latter... summer is approaching!)

There is still the little kid in me that craves those rich, fattening meals I adored as a skinny-minnie string bean. (No, really. My family nickname was "Noodle".) Unfortunately, I can't scarf down high-calorie pasta the way I used to. Last night Quinn requested Fettuccini Alfredo for dinner, and I set out to make a lighter version -- while still retaining that abundantly creamy flavor.

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Healthy Eats: Arugula & Goat Cheese Pasta Salad

I've said it once, I'll say it again: there is something  so wonderful about cooking with friends. Opening a bottle (or 2, or 3) of wine, brainstorming dishes together, deliberating over spices, rubs and marinades... it can't be beat. This past weekend Quinn and I got together with two of his good friends from high school to grill high quality tri tip and chicken breasts purchased at the Los Angeles Original Farmer's Market.

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