Dinner, Day 4: Thursday, March 13th

My brother and I got our taxes done at 630 the night of the 13th. Our amazing tax guy brought both of us great news, thus we celebrated with an AMAZING dinner. When I say AMAZING, I mean: RUTH CHRIS STEAKHOUSE!

My brother and I went to Ruth Chris for the first time back in January for my Dad’s bday. Just our luck it was DineLA week and we were able to try their amazing menu for$35/person. This time around we spent a bit more but loved it to the very last bite.

We shared the Seared Ahi Tuna (AMAZING), while I had the Filet Mignon and he had the Rib Eye. If you haven’t already been, Ruth Chris serves their steaks on a bed of butter; not exactly the healthiest but hey, at least no carbs! This is exactly what my steak looked like:

Ruth Chris is pretty much all over the nation, so take your special someone and get your steak on. I LOVE IT. I can’t wait to take my boyfriend, of course after he trains for his upcoming triathlon – I don’t think he can do that much butter

Lunch, Day 4: Thursday, March 13

Not until I found Los Gueros in Monrovia, did I think I can ever love Mexican food so much. My Lunch Buddies (now Lunch Buddy) and I used to frequent this place for their FRESHLY made guacamole, menudo service daily, and $0.99 menu on the weekdays!

Yesterday I tried something new: CHORIZO AND EGGS, with a side of beans. This just proved to me that Los Gueros is quite simply amazing in all that they do. So, please if you’re ever in the area – please visit. Aside from the great food, they have the best service in town

For the full Los Gueros menu, click here. For an amazing coupon, click here.

Dinner, Day 3: Wednesday, March 12

Last night I was lazy, disgustingly lazy! I didn’t work out, I didn’t do anything I was supposed to do after work but get a pedicure. It was a slump day Wednesday, what can I say?

My laziness prevailed in all things last night, and that included my dinner. I had Chicken Mushroom Sausage from Trader Joes and a hard boiled egg. Pretty sad, huh? Anyway, that got me thinking about my number reason to go to Costco, THE POLISH SAUSAGE! For $1.50 you get a refillable drink and a sufficient size polish hot dog!

According to Calorie-Count.com; it’s not the best in terms of nutritional value but hey, can you really beat a full meal for $1.50?

For listings of your local Costco, visit here.

Dim Sum: My Sunday after Chuch Treat

I LOVE DIM SUM. There was once a point in my life where I would go 3 times/week (work week, that is). It’s cheap, it’s fast, and free!

On my first visit to Shanghai, I was in shock that my Chinese co-workers had no idea what Dim Sum was. They explained to me that Dim Sum was made popular in westernized China which included Hong Kong and the Guangdong region. Every time I have dim sum with a different set of people, I tell them this tidbit and then we all learn something new everyday!

My Dim Sum favorites include:

- Har Gow

- BBQ Pork Bun

- Siumai

- Chinese Brocolli

- Shrimp Chow Fun

And I enjoy my Dim Sum at these fine, fine establishments:

Ten Ten Seafood Restaurant 

Full House Seafood

Lunch, Day 3: Wednesday, March 12th

Think back to my post on Monday… about how I wanted to eat Mediterranean food but it was closed! Luckily for me, today is not Monday.

My Lunch Buddy and I headed over to the Mediterranean Garden Grill in the city of Monrovia. Awkward set-up with the outdoor like arrangements, but what can I say – we’re weather-blessed here in California! Anyway,  we had a feast!

Lunch Buddy:

Halloum: Pan Grilled Greek Cheese served  fresh with tomatoes and olives

French Fries

Shared:

Falafel

Me:

Fattoush Salad: Lettuce, Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Onions, Fresh Mint, Olive Oil, Lemon Juice topped with a Beef Skewer.

Seeing as to how I LOVE ME SOME MEDITERRANEAN FOOD, I did some reach and found the Mediterranean diet. It’s an interesting concept that basically consists of a diet that reduce fat intake. You can read more about it here. But here is a quick snippet:

The Mediterranean Diet is a great way for people to eat healthy food that tastes great. It’s easy to follow the Mediterranean Diet.

* Make olive oil your primary source of dietary fat
* Incorporate an abundance of food from plant sources, including fruits and vegetables, breads, grains, beans, nuts, and seeds
* Eat low to moderate amounts of fish and poultry weekly
* Eat low to moderate amounts of cheese and yogurt daily
* Drink a moderate amount of wine (one to two glasses per day for men, one glass per day for women)

Dinner, Day 2: Tuesday, March 11

After a long workout at the Beverly Center, I was extremely hungry! The only place I could even think of eating at was WHOLE FOODS. (You’ll notice I eat here at least 2x week).

Last night, I was feeling… MEATLOAF. It was amazing and extremely filling. You can get a half piece for about $3.50 (they’re about a pound a piece at $6.99/lb). I found the scrumptious recipe online for you at WholeFoods.com

Traditional Meat Loaf

Grated carrot and onion add a nutritional boost to this delicious meatloaf, while the mustard and Worcestershire sauce ensure a hearty flavor.
Serves 6
* 2 pounds lean ground beef
* 1/2 cup rice cracker crumbs
* 1 small onion, cut in half (optional for 1/2 the onion)
* 1 cup grated carrots
* 1 egg
* 1 can (15 ounce) tomato sauce, divided
* 2 to 3 teaspoons gluten-free mustard (yellow or Dijon)
* 1 tablespoon gluten-free Worcestershire sauce
* 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
* freshly ground black pepper
* 2 teaspoons natural brown sugar

Ingredient options: use bread crumbs instead of rice cracker crumbs if you do not require a gluten-free version.

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Dice half of the onion and if desired, thinly slice the other half to go over the top of the loaf.

Spray or oil a 9-inch loaf pan.

In large bowl, combine ground beef, bread or cracker crumbs, diced onion, grated carrots, egg, 1/4 cups of tomato sauce, mustard, Worcestershire, salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer to prepared loaf pan. If desired, lay sliced onions over the top of the meatloaf. Combine remaining tomato sauce with brown sugar. Pour over the top of onions or directly over the meatloaf. Bake for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours or until done.
Nutrition Info

Per serving (279g-wt.): 270 calories (60 from fat), 7g total fat, 2.5g saturated fat, 36g protein, 17g total carbohydrate (2g dietary fiber, 7g sugar), 115mg cholesterol, 980mg sodium

Now that we’re pass the Meatloaf situation, let’s discuss the Whole Foods Recipe Section! It’s one of the most comprehensive and easy to use I’ve seen online. Just in the past 10 minutes I’ve found recipes to the following:

Meals for 4 under $15

Spaghetti Algio e Olio

Fresh Herb Buttermilk Biscuits

And if you’re itching to go to your local Whole Foods, visit their store locater.

My Forever Love: Red Velvet Cupcakes

I can still remember when this love affair began, it dates back to: Memorial Day, 2005. Hot day on Bleeker St. in NY. Not even the sight of the Marc Jacobs store could detour me from MAGNOLIA BAKERY! At the time, I had a vanilla cupcake with chocolate icing. AMAZING. Actual cake was extremely moist; Chocolate icing was just the right amount of sweet to cure anyone’s ailing sweet tooth.

Since then, I have fallen for The Red Velvet Cupcake and my infatuation with Magnolia Bakery is now over and I’m onto: SPRINKLES CUPCAKES! Trendy, cute, yummy… what more can you ask for in a cupcake joint? Or so I thought! Williams Sonoma now carries the Sprinkles Cupcake mix. Sprinkles mix available in Red Velvet, Chocolate, Lemon, and Vanilla for $14 which includes mix and a simple recipe for Sprinkles Bakeries’ signature frosting!

Try one for yourself; it’s definitely worth every single calorie!

Photo Courtesy: my Friend, Janelle Albino

Lunch, Day 2: Tuesday, March 11th

I was craving a Mediterranean Beef Salad today; I’ve been wanting one since yesterday in fact. Unfortunately, for me… I didn’t have a car to get me there on my lunch hour! So I guess I had to settle for something walking distance and to my surprise, I missed the salads at Teri & Yaki.

I had the Sesame chicken salad: lettuce, grilled chicken, bean sprouts, and my own addition of sesame spinach. DELICIOUS! Like most salads, the dressing was impeccable. Too bad, I barely touched it – again, afraid to partake in unknown calorie consumption.

Unfortunately for most, eating at Teri & Yaki may never be an option (they have only 3 locations; 2 in Pasadena and 1 in Monrovia)… so the next best thing would be to try your luck at this tasty treat from BettyCrocker.com.

Sesame Chicken Salad

Chicken

2    teaspoons vegetable oil
2    teaspoons soy sauce
4    boneless skinless chicken breasts (1 1/4 lb)
Double-Sesame Dressing
1/3    cup vegetable oil
1/4    cup white vinegar
1    tablespoon sesame seed, toasted
1    teaspoon sesame oil
1/2    teaspoon sugar
Salad
6    cups chopped Chinese (napa) cabbage or lettuce
1    cup thinly sliced cucumber
1    cup shredded carrots (1 1/2 medium)
1    jar (7 oz) baby corn, drained
Instructions

1.    Heat gas or charcoal grill. In small bowl, mix 2 teaspoons vegetable oil and the soy sauce; brush on both sides of chicken. Brush grill rack with vegetable oil. Place chicken on grill. Cover grill; cook over medium heat 15 to 20 minutes, turning once, until juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut (170°F).
2.    Meanwhile, in small bowl, beat all dressing ingredients with wire whisk.
3.    In large bowl, toss all salad ingredients with dressing; divide among 6 serving plates. Cut chicken diagonally into 1/2-inch slices. Top salads with chicken.

Dinner, Day 1: Monday, March 10th

I love driving on Colorado Blvd through Eagle Rock. Tons of yummies on this street include: Blue Hen, a Vietnamese vegetarian joint, Cafe Beaujolais, only the best French joint ever, and my absolute second favorite market (next to Whole Foods): Trader Joes.

So, I did tons of shopping and along the way I found a Shrimp and Crab Meat salad. It was great, it comes garnished with a lemon and a wonderful dressing (to which I barely touched – something that good couldn’t possibly be that good for you). It’s extremely refreshing, so I suggest you either a) head to your local Trader Joe’s or try this excellent recipe I found on Cooks.com

Enjoy Dinner!

My Mid-Day Pick Me Upper: Yogi Tea

My friend, Mari introduced me to this amazing lines of teas from Whole Foods: Yogi Tea.

Current Obsession: Yogi Tea Green Tea Super Anti-Oxidant. 

It’s perfect for getting you over that 3pm slump!