Erin's Vegetarian Lunch Bunch - 1st visit

Vegetarian Lunch Bunch.

I have a friend. Her name is Erin. Erin and I met through classes of hers I take at 24 Hour Fitness. She's a Group X instructor, so I've taken both her yoga and aqua aerobics classes. We look nothing alike, but when we hang out on our own time, it's like hanging out with a long lost sister! She's very down to earth, intuitive and relatable to all us humans in all our different walks of life. Our friendship doesn't even need to be complicated by the fact that I'm a self-professed Omnivore. I have no shame in the fact that I do enjoy meat. Yes, I'm an animal lover. I have been my whole life. I've also loved bacon, chicken breasts, buffalo wings...you get the idea. Hypocritical? Perhaps. I'm okay with that though.

That being said, you might understand the "yeah right" thought process that started in my head when I got an invitation to join Erin, (and everyone else who RSVPs) for a *vegetarian* lunch bunch. We've both had the conversation about how I'm not necessarily down for quitting meat at this point in my life. I was hesitant to join her lunch bunch. Not because I thought she'd get all culty about being a "Veggie Head", (well, maybe, I have to be honest). I just had no interest in sitting around with a bunch of people I don't know, who might judge me because I'm usually one of the biggest girls who attend get-togethers with this particular group of women. I certainly thought sitting around, gagging down some odd concoction of "looks like real food, but is made out of essence of broccoli and prune-foam" sounded just short of torture.

Before I knew it, Erin had invited me over for lunch last Wednesday. I hadn't put two and two together, and once I had entered her home's entry-way, I realized I was at the epicenter of Erin's Vegetarian Lunch Bunch! AAAACK! Okay, Tara. Breathe, just be calm, and don't be too obvious when you're regurgitating the green mess from your plate back into your napkin. You will be juuuuust fine.

The thing is, reality that day played out quite the opposite way than my brain had tried to sabotage me into thinking. Erin made a huge pitcher of Iced Tea sweetened with Splenda. She had small veg patties which contained lots of broccoli. The taste reminded me of egg fou young, which is really quite delightful. The patties were on a luscious green bed of darker leafy salad. Did you know iceberg lettuce has virtually no real nutritional value? A good rule of thumb is the darker and leafier the salad/lettuce is, chances are the more chock full of vitamins said salad will be. I felt like Popeye just chomping it down. She also made a delightful beet slaw with a vinaigrette spiked with some raspberry vinaigrette.

About an hour had passed, we were helping ourselves to seconds, some of us thirds...the gathering was intimate. Erin prepared the meal and Ember and I couldn't get enough. Erin's response? Go load up! She let us know the meal was packed with nutrients and virtually zero calories. To think something could be *that* flavorful, yet be good for me in so many ways, really did blow my mind. My favorite part (other than chatting away with Erin and Ember like we were old High School friends catching up at a reunion) was eating a meal that was filling, and didn't make me feel "grody" afterwards. Sounds a little too good to be true? I almost had to pinch myself to believe it myself!

Am I excited for her next Vegetarian Lunch Bunch? You BETCHA! Future Lunch Bunches will continue to take place at Erin's home (which is so cozy, I don't even have the words to explain) every Monday and Wednesday from Noon to 1:30, starting March 2nd. Space is very limited so for those of you who want to have an amazing mind/body/soul experience with like-minded women who want to live life to their fullest potential, I sure hope to see you there!

I'm providing the link so you can RSVP if interested. There's no commitment. I challenge you to give it a try and find a valid reason to not ever return. You won't have one. I swear. Come dine with us, get to know your neighbors, and maybe even meet a future workout buddy!

https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=142028369194550

"There are no such things as strangers, only friends we haven't met yet."
~~Anonymous

Day 23 - Pollo y Cebollas Salteados

Tonight was Sauteed Chicken and Onion night. The recipe I found was in Spanglish, but here's the gist of it:

Garlic, 3 cloves Ground Oregano, 1 tsp a few dashes of black pepper a few dashes of salt 2 Tbsps olive oil 2 oz tap water 1/2 white onion, chopped 4 chicken breasts

1-Crush garlic, oregano, black pepper and salt.
2-Dice the chicken breast tenders and mix with the garlic paste until each piece is seasoned with it.
3-In a frypan, sauté chicken in oil. Add water and cook until water evaporates and chicken is cooked.
4-Add onion to chicken, cook until tender.
5-Makes 4 portions

The chicken tasted very light. The garlic gave it a sweet flavor and the oregano gave a slight Italian aftertaste. When I make this again (which I will), I would probably use a few more breasts and add cabbage or sweet peppers. This isn't a one-dish meal like what I prefer to make, so this alone as listed above would also work well over a bed of linguine. **NOTE** Original recipe only called for three chicken breasts, so note this in the nutritional value listed below:

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 3
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 111.1

• Total Fat: 7.1 g
• Cholesterol: 10.0 mg
• Sodium: 283.0 mg
• Total Carbs: 6.2 g
• Dietary Fiber: 0.9 g
• Protein: 4.4 g

Day 22 - Black Pepper Beef And Cabbage Stir Fry

Very simple dish, packed with veggies, light tasting but filling at the same time. One note: If you're not a big fan of "spicy" dishes, you might consider cutting the black pepper in half. This was a definite "top" meal for me. Very simple to make, very inexpensive ingredients, took about 20 minutes from prep to table. I'll definitely make this again!

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 pound ground beef

1/2 small head cabbage, shredded

1 red bell pepper, cut into strips

2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1/2 cup water

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat, and add oil. Saute garlic for about 5 seconds, then add ground beef. Stir-fry until beef is evenly brown. Stir in cabbage and pepper, and cook until vegetables are tender, and beef is fully cooked. Stir in soy sauce. Mix together cornstarch and water, and stir in. Season with pepper. Cook, stirring, until sauce has thickened.

Servings: 4

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 4
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 202.6

• Total Fat: 11.3 g
• Cholesterol: 32.8 mg
• Sodium: 361.6 mg
• Total Carbs: 12.3 g
• Dietary Fiber: 3.6 g
• Protein: 14.8 g

Day 17 - Broiled Tilapia Parmesan AND guacamole!

Oh, that's right folks. I took it up a notch and made two recipes. I think my family is convinced I've been abducted and replaced with a less annoying version of Rachael Ray. The guac was more of a happy accident than something planned. We had bought avocados last weekend that I forgot about until this evening. So, since super-mushy avocados are pretty much guacamole in a shell anyway, I decided to save their integrity and just turn 'em into dip. First, let's get to this tilapia business.

3 Tilapia fillets
2 tsps olive oil
juice from two fresh limes
1 tsp dehydrated cilantro
2 cups fresh spinach
1/4 cup chopped fresh tomatoes
1 Tbsp shredded parmesan cheese
garlic powder

Brush fillets with some olive oil. I've seen that "Naked Chef" guy so I thought I'd be fancy. I just drizzled a dollop of oil on the fillet (in my hands) and rubbed it in on both sides. Saves cleaning a brush and it makes everyone watching you cook think you're just so totally cool. Squeeze juice from the limes over the fillets. I also don't own a lime juicer, so I crushed them (just like Ahnold) with my bare hands. I'm flexing right now. Trust me. Sprinkle garlic powder over fish. Don't encrust the little guy, but don't be afraid to use this spice liberally. Sprinkle fillets with cilantro. I just find it's easier to keep dehydrated cilantro on hand instead of the fresh, but that's up to you.

Broil 6 inches from heat in oven for 6 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork. While the fish is under the heat, get your spinach rinsed off and pluck off all the stems. It might seem tedious to do so, but trust me, it's worth it. Place spinach in a microwave safe dish, cover loosely, nuke for 4 minutes. The natural juices of the spinach will steam it for you. Fancy, huh?

Spoon cooked spinach onto plate, place fish over spinach. Place chopped tomatoes and shredded cheese over the fish, and you're done! Best. Fish. Dish. Ever. True story. The bonus is being able to get through dinner, do the dishes, and still be able to brag to everyone how your hands smell limey fresh.

Holy Guacamole!

2 medium Hass avocados

1/2 cup onion, chopped

2 Tbsp dehydrated cilantro

1/4 cup tomato chopped

juice from a fresh lime (or two!)

Directions

Cut avocado in half and remove pit. Scoop pulp out into a bowl. Using a fork, mash avocado until smooth in consistency. Add the lime juice, onion, cilantro, and tomato. Poof. You're the life of the party. (The guac is in the lower right hand corner there.)

Day 16 - Gone in 60 Seconds Meatloaf

Ingredients

1 lb. 93% Lean Ground Turkey

1 large egg

1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs

1/3 cup ketchup

1/2 onion, finely chopped

2 Tbsp. 1% Milk

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce

1/2 tsp. Salt

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. oregano

5-6 "shakes" paprika

Directions

Mix all ingredients in large mixing bowl. Spray Pyrex casserole dish with cooking spray. Mold the meatloaf mixture into a "loaf" in the dish. Sprinkle with additional pepper if desired. Bake in oven at 350 for 45 minutes. After first 20 minutes cooking, add additional catsup to top of loaf. Remove from oven after 45 minutes, let "rest" an additional 10 minutes on counter/stove-top. 

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 6
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 170.9

• Total Fat: 5.9 g
• Cholesterol: 63.6 mg
• Sodium: 646.9 mg
• Total Carbs: 11.3 g
• Dietary Fiber: 0.5 g
• Protein: 16.6 g