Easy Overnight Oats

It’s Sunday! What does that mean? Meal prep time! This is when we prep as much food as we can for the week so that being tired and short of time doesn’t force us into making unhealthy decisions. For this week, I’m highlighting easy overnight oats. There’s actually no cooking required in this recipe, just a tiny bit of prep work (and I mean tiny). What are overnight oats? Dry oats that soak and become edible overnight.

This is a healthy recipe (that I adapted and tweaked from Chocolate Covered Katie) that will get your rear into gear during those sleepy struggle mornings. Basically, you’re just stacking ingredients in a mason jar, putting it in the fridge overnight and then eating it the next morning! I love it because when you actually need it, you don’t have to put any work into making it. The mornings are an important part of my day for personal development and productivity so “hacks” like these are vital! I can just go through my normal routine without spending an extra 10-15 minutes prepping breakfast. Weehaw, more productivity time!

May052018

Healthy Enchilada Quinoa Casserole

Last month, I had the wonderful opportunity to spend a lot of time with my family in Iowa, although it was for the sad reason of my grandfather’s funeral. Funerals are always difficult, especially of a loved one, but there’s that bright side of family and togetherness that makes it bearable. Every meal time we would gather round the table (there were quite a few of us) and eat and laugh and cry. Definitely healing for the soul, I would say.

It was spending this time together that brought this amazing new recipe into my life: my cousin Molly’s healthy enchilada quinoa casserole. I can’t tell you how much I ate of this dish. A lot. Like, a lot a lot. It was filled with such healthy and yummy goodness that I couldn’t stop. Just something about a warm nourishing dish in the last throes of winter (yeah, we got 7 inches of snow DURING APRIL). The dish focuses on latin flavors while boasting healthy nutrition facts. The base of the dish is quinoa, but so many others are invited to the party: beans, corn, cilantro, avocado and more. As soon as I tasted the menu, I begged her to write up the recipe and send it to me! So this one, folks, is all thanks to Molly!

Apr192018

Dune: LA Restaurant Review

Next stop on our quest to hit the best eateries in Los Angeles was Dune. All four of us enjoyed our food at Dune, plain and simple. One vegetarian and three meat eaters, celebrating a birthday and going to an eatery that came highly recommended from a very reliable source. The food at Dune we would consider to be fresh Middle Eastern cuisine. It has distinct flavors that aren’t afraid to be bold.

Apr142018

Wanderlust Creamery: LA Eatery Review

We were out to dinner at Dune (review coming soon) with our videographer when the snow-cone looking logo caught our eyes. Everyone knew that dessert was across the street, but we had no idea just how good it would be. We’d never heard of Wanderlust, but we wish that we had sooner! Watch us enjoy Wanderlust in this video.

The server quickly explained that the flavors were inspired by places the owners have been and others they want to visit–all over the world. Well, a few of the spots were ones that we’ve been to (Cafe du monde, for example) and a few others were ones that we’re going to soon (Ireland, Iceland) so there was an immediate connection that was thrilling. Plus, our videographer (Juan Esguerra, Iron Fortitude Media) is from the Philippines, and the server told us the owner was too, so even more bonus points. But who cares about all that… get to the ice cream!

Apr082018

Blue Apron Review

Recently, Fit was gifted a free trial for Blue Apron (by one of the best bakers we know), which we took advantage of to the fullest. We know that there are tons of meal delivery services, which all need to do things a little different to succeed, so we were excited to find out what made Blue Apron so successful!

We received two meals through this promotion, which seemed to be equal to a $50 voucher. That means each meal cost $25 and they were advertised as meals for two. That means, essentially, that we had lunch and dinner for $50. If you think about it, $12.50 a meal (per person) seems reasonable, but that really depends on where you live. Here in LA, a healthier meal out would tend to cost you more than that, while you could have a meal for less than that back in Boulder.

Apr032018

D’s Dubai Sauce

Obviously, when we say that we’re only going to eat at restaurants once a week that are “on our list” we don’t fully expect that to happen. As a result, when we might go out for a business lunch with a third party, we’ll lean towards places we haven’t been because we love discovering new spots. That led me to D’s Dubai Sauce.

I’m not completely sold on D’s Dubai Sauce, but intrigued enough by my first experience to be willing to try it again. We live a few blocks away, so it’s convenient, but growing up in the NYC area created higher standards based on the stand at 53rd and 6th. Still, they don’t claim to be just “chicken and rice” so let’s talk about what they do well.

They really do excel when it comes to flavor development, especially in their sauces. Their white sauce has this very unexpected tang to it which breaks through the overwhelming richness. The green sauce is even brighter with significant heat from the jalapeno and lots of acidity. I didn’t brave the extremely hot red sauce this time around.

Mar282018

Seriously Healthy Whole-Wheat Muffins

Being that it was St. Patrick’s Day recently, I had myself some leftover buttermilk from when I made Jodi’s amazing Irish Soda Bread (fail-proof recipe!). What should I do with this extra buttermilk? I could make another loaf of that delicious soda bread or…I could try a new recipe! I wanted it to be healthy and something guilt-free. With my buttermilk-searching glasses on, I scoured through healthy recipes until I found one I wanted to base my recipe on. Luckily, trusty ol’ King Arthur Flour had a great one! I healthified it even more than it already was (I cut the sugar) and whipped it up. These muffins are so good without being sweet and they pack a serious punch of fiber. They are also incredibly easy to make. Major plus! Takes under thirty minutes.

Mar152018

Jitlada: LA Restaurant Review

What foodie in LA hasn’t heard of Jitlada? Whether you read Jonathan Gold’s 101 best restaurant list every year or watched his movie City of Gold, watched Chef Jazz compete on Food Network, or have taken a tour of Thai Town with Jet Tila himself, you’re sure to know about Jitlada! When we were making the list, it was one of the first we mentioned… a top priority for all of the reasons above and then some!

Mar012018

Casablanca: LA Restaurant Review

Disclaimer: This was NOT on our original list, but it should’ve been! Why? When I first arrived in LA to visit Fit’s family, on the way home from the airport, I remember her mum pointing this place out and saying, “they have the best tortillas ever.” I’ve heard that dozens of times over the years and we finally had the chance to try them out! (Fit went here from time to time while growing up.)

Next up in our Must-Visit LA Restaurants of 2018 project is Casablanca! So, a little more background before we talk food at Casablanca… our friends were in town and were nice enough to let us know! When we asked where they wanted to eat, one said that her brother recommended this spot since they were staying in Venice. I was thrilled to finally have the chance to test out Casablanca’s tortillas and I was NOT disappointed.

Even though we strolled in right around the start of peak dinner hours, they were already nearly full, but we were seated immediately. It is a very interesting spot: imagine a Hollywood-inspired building from a past century that transported you to Morocco and served you Mexican food. While it probably belongs closer to the Hollywood Walk of Fame, it fits in Venice very well. It’s been around forever. Warmth builds in the tight dining room with what feels like a low ceiling, especially when you notice the tortillas being made a few feet away and realize that the piano is behind played behind your back. This place has a lot of character.

Feb222018

The Ponte: LA Restaurant Review

When we started this project (Must-Visit Restaurants in LA), we knew there would be challenges depending on our schedules, but we vowed to keep the wheels on the wagon and here we are for our third installment. While we didn’t order our top 40 list, The Ponte definitely would’ve fallen into the top 10. With Food Network celebrity chef Scott Conant behind this high-end Italian restaurant and considering his reputation for pasta mastery, our expectations were high.

But then, we were thrown a curveball. When researching The Ponte, it seemed as if they had a slew of entrees in the $28-32 dollar range, which is in our $$$ range. However, I didn’t consider that my Valentine’s Day reservations might have come with a third wheel on our date: a fixed, four-course meal. Still, as we valeted our car and walked through their enchanting entrance at the back of the restaurant, we decided that our entire focus would be on enjoying this experience.

And. we. did.