My cure all… pumpkin soup

by Nanette on August 30, 2011 in Appetizers, Lunch, Recipes, Soups with No comments -->
Pumpkin

Of course a fresh pumpkin is the best and a must for making this extremely nutritious soup. This soup is extremely energizing. Swear it cures the flu. Pumpkin is a very yang (according to my zen macroboitic cookbook) vegetable, which means its has very alkaline propeties, with optimum energy along with the chopped fresh watercress to finish the soup (which is a very yang herb as well).

Supposedly, according to Dr. Lam, its not good to eat lentils if you are a O blood type. But I believe that the red lentils are a must in this satisfying soup. Continue reading →

Oh my God!
I’m a meat eater again.

by Nanette on August 5, 2011 in Opinion, Personal with 4 Comments -->
Bacon

I just recently started to eat meat again, after 26 years of being pseudo-vegatarian (I ate eggs, cheese, anchovies, chicken and beef broth). I was encouraged to eat meat over the years, even knowing for my blood type, O+ required a carnivore diet. I took issue with animal cruelty and for spritual reasons, decided not to eat meat. After so many years doing without, my constitution needed a major overhaul. So, I bit the bullet (literally with bacon…extra crispy). So far, besides bacon, I’ve eaten shrimp, chicken, and a hesitant bite of a kosher hot dog. I’m still a little freaked out but I feel that my body needs the animal protein and I’ve basically gotten over it (for the most part).

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Good ol’ Nichol’s

by Nanette on July 6, 2011 in Opinion, Restaurants with No comments -->
Nichol's

NICHOL’S a friendly neighborhood upscale american coffee shop – serving gourmet and classic traditional. It’s in Marina del Rey, 15 minutes away from LAX (don’t let the strip mall location deter you). Sometimes there is a 10min’s. to 15min.s wait but is definitely worth it. The attention to fresh high quality food.

The salad dressing’s are superb, made from scratch, the bleu and the ranch (with I usually pass on, is a must to try). The soups du jour, made from scratch (like carrot ginger, zucchini curry, and the chicken noodle) are partically delicious – served with homemade (usually warm, just baked) sourdough rolls.

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A Healthier Microwave Popcorn

by Nanette on April 3, 2010 in Appetizers, Gluten-Free, Kids, Recipes, Snacks with No comments -->

OK this is silly but I just have to share this one. Popcorn popped in a brown paper lunch bag with just sea salt. This isn’t a new idea but a smart one.

It’s healthier and more economical than the store bought (artificially oiled) microwave popcorn. It’s also less messy than using the air popper — my air popper pops popcorn everywhere! :) I love this because its a yummy, low fat snack that offers good ruffage. You can get organic popcorn kernels too!

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Irish Coffee

by Nanette on March 17, 2010 in Drinks, Recipes with No comments -->

Here’s a fun Irish Coffee recipe in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. My sister’s Irish in-laws always serve their famous Irish Coffee in their heirloom Irish coffee mugs during their St. Patrick’s Day gathering.

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Sweet Spicy Pecans

by Nanette on March 16, 2010 in Appetizers, Gluten-Free, Lunch, Recipes, Salads with No comments -->

Yes, there is curry on the pecans. Yes, some people don’t like curry — if this is you, don’t be afraid, they just might surprise you. Even my mother in-law “doesn’t like curry” but she absolutely loves these.

These pecans are great noshing on alone or on a gorgeous salad. I like using it as a topping on a *shredded raw beet, *shredded raw carrot, diced red onions, garbanzo beans, gorgonzola cheese, and fresh spinach salad, drizzled with a delicious grapefruit vinaigrette.

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Eggplant Parmesan… my version

by Nanette on February 26, 2010 in Entrees, Gluten-Free, Lunch, Recipes with No comments -->

Eggplant Parmesan has been one of my favorite Italian dishes for most of my adult life. When I was younger and a bit (maybe a lot) naive, I believed the old folklore that feeding a man basil would make him fall in love with you. Well, there’s a lot of basil in this dish :)

Typically, eggplant slices are dipped in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs and then pan fried. In my version, I use water instead of egg, I spritz the eggplant with oil and then bake instead of pan fry (this helps cut down on the calories). I also like to use goat cheese instead of the mozzarella — it’s easier to digest and most importantly, it’s absolutely delicious. Continue reading →

Cha Cha Cha — a perfectly fine tamale and a kick a@# sangria

by Nanette on February 20, 2010 in Drinks, Entrees, Lunch, Opinion, Restaurants with No comments -->

My sis and I just went to Cha Cha Cha (their original location on Virgil) for a long overdue brunch-date. I had the Black Bean Tamales and the Caesar Salad. The tamales were made with sweet corn (which I love) but it came topped with a cold tomatillo sauce, which unfortunately, I’m not crazy about. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not because it’s not a good sauce — I’m just not a fan of tomatillos. No doubt, next time I’ll try a different sauce.

The Caesar Salad was good, but it didn’t have enough dressing or garlic croutons. The dressing was a traditional Caesar dressing (with the anchovies) which was also good. My sister had Huevos Al Salmon (grilled salmon filet over scrambled eggs with garlic and basil), she really enjoyed it. She also highly recommends the Swordfish Caesar and the Tortilla Soup on a rainy day. Continue reading →

Have you ever tried watermelon juice?

by Nanette on February 17, 2010 in Breakfast, Drinks, Gluten-Free, Lunch, Opinion, Restaurants with No comments -->

I found it at Lulu’s Café in L.A. (on Beverly near La Brea). They have fresh-pressed watermelon juice (as well as orange, grapefruit, apple, carrot, pineapple, celery, beet, parsley and ginger). I have occasionally seen it at some local health food stores (and mail order), but it’s fairly hard to find and nowhere near as good as the fresh.

As you may or may not know already, watermelon juice is extremely good for you — a natural diuretic, detox cleanser, nutrient-rich and of course, absolutely delicious. As with most good things, I have to have it again and again. I’ve sent my poor husband day after day, until I had my fix (similar to my recent Thai Iced Tea and Almond Croissant habits).

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Red Quinoa Tabouli Salad

by Nanette on February 15, 2010 in Gluten-Free, Lunch, Recipes with 3 Comments -->

Quinoa (pronounced “keen-wah”) is a somewhat unknown South American grain-like seed.  It is a great alternative to wheat and other grains and can be substituted in many dishes.  High in fiber and a complete protein, its nutritional value far exceeds any traditional grain.

I recently discovered quinoa while attempting to make a tabouli that my gluten-free husband could eat — I was a little skeptical at first, but I now prefer quinoa over the cracked wheat/bulghur in my tabouli. As far as the different varieties of quinoa, I prefer the red.  This salad is potent and energizing and extremely good for you!  For those of you needing to be gluten-free, you won’t have to go without your tabouli anymore.  This healthy and delicious salad takes a bit of prepping, but it is well worth it. Continue reading →

On the quest for the perfect almond croissant

by Nanette on February 14, 2010 in Breakfast, Desserts, Opinion with No comments -->

As my husband can attest to, I’ve been searching for the perfect almond croissant for most of my adult life.  He’s driven many miles searching for French bakeries, local coffee shops and even the odd donut shop that might stand up to my scrutiny — needless to say, I’m still looking.

From the crowds that I’ve seen at Portos  in Burbank, I thought they might have one — but I was sadly disappointed with their version of an almond croissant.  It was doughy and not nearly enough marzipan, it didn’t have the flakey layers that make a great croissant, well great. And again, I’ll continue to look. Continue reading →

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