Valentine's Day

My boyfriend's probably similar to most males and not super enthusiastic about Valentine's Day.  He did offer to make reservations at a restaurant of my choice, but the idea of overpriced "special" set menus did not appeal to me.  Instead I suggested we cook something nice together at home.  Originially we were going to have lobster tails, porterhouse steak, caprese salad and risotto.  Since we're both trying to slim down so the pants are less tight, I switched the risotto for a light cauliflower puree and we had the lobster tails a different night.

 Creamy fresh mozzarella with vine-ripened tomatoes

 My boyfriend cooked the porterhouse medium-rare in his cast-iron skillet.

We had creamy cauliflower and zucchini as well.  The cauliflower was pureed with chicken broth and was lighter than mashed potatoes.

Brut Rose from Whole Foods was nice, bubbly and went well with the taramosalata and crackers.

Let Him Eat Carbs

Despite my best intentions, my boyfriend does not seem to be ready for a world without complex carbohydrates.  He had a business lunch where the buffet was too tempting and he went wild like a kid in a candy store.  He sounded so bashful when he admitted he had a piece of pita bread with some hummus.  Aww.  My man cannot survive on salads and small portions alone.  Time to dial back the diet.  On a positive note, he said he's feeling ready to start working out again.  I don't think that diets should feel like deprevation.  A mixture of healthy foods and moderate exercise will get him farther towards his goal than a strict diet alone. 

 Arugula, tomatoes, yellow peppers, kalamata olives on 1/2 portion of buckwheat soba with a small piece of roasted cod.  Buckwheat is gluten-free and a slow-releasing carbohydrate, and a nice addition to the salad and fish.

Side of boiled dumplings with soy sauce and rayu, a chili-infused sesame oil.

Semi-South Beach

I've been researching different diets this week.  I like to experiment with foods that make me feel more energetic and reduce those that put me into a salt-coma or carb-overload.  I'm shaking up our diet right now, finding a better balance of foods to fuel our bodies with portion size playing a role.  After looking at a variety of diets, I think the South Beach-style fits us the best.  We're experimenting with a two-week curb on refined white carbohydrates, deep-fried things, high-fat proteins and high glycemic foods to jumpstart his return to exercising.  Instead of focusing on what we're eliminating, I'm trying to emphasize how wonderful vibrant vegetables and lean proteins can make you feel.

 Kalamata olives, cherry tomatoes, yellow bell pepper and arugula in champagne vinaigrette.

Roasted cod topped with the vegetable mixture with roasted brussel sprouts. 

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Serving a lean protein with vegetables on 3/4ths of the plate is my goal.  I've reduced our plate size to the salad plate too.  Instead of family-style bowls on the table, I now plate the food in the kitchen.  After the initial two weeks I'll begin incorporating rice, pasta, whole grain bread and fruits too. This is a challenge for my boyfriend since he attends many lectures where free platters of croissants, bagels, danish and muffins are de rigueur.  It's not the end of the world if he succumbs to their allure, but I hope that after this experiment he sees how the initial sugary deliciousness is followed by a post-sugar crash.  Ultimately this is about eating better, feeling better and making healthier decisions.

Nicoise Salad

My week of healthier meal planning continues.  Last night's dinner was a riff on the nicoise salad.  My boyfriend was working late, so I had plenty of time to put everything together. Perhaps too much time as I ended up making massive salads with enough for our lunches as well. 

 Arugula, Persian cucumbers, yellow bell pepper, Kalamata olives, cherry tomatoes, boiled eggs and cooked grean beans.

 Added some roasted yukon potatoes to the plate with a dijon vinaigrette.

Pan-seared tuna steaks. 

I chose a salad plate to help create the illusion of a full plate.  However, I overloaded the plate with the vegetables so the tuna was on another plate, defeating the purpose.  I need to do a better job with portion sizes for us.  Even though the majority of the meal was vegetables, I piled on too many ingredients.  We would have been better off sharing one of the salads I made instead of having one each.  Learning some new lessons as we try out new things.

Clarendon's Lyon Hall

Finally stopped in Lyon Hall. http://www.lyonhallarlington.com/ I had heard some great things about it from my favorite bar manager in the neighborhood, but also some middling reviews from friends. Well...I really liked it. Partially it was the company and perfect weather for sitting outside, but the service was very enjoyable. We had to wait a few minutes at the bar for a table outside. The bartender was informative and poured tastes of a few draft beers to help my friend decide what to drink.

Peach and heirloom tomato salad. The waitress highly recommended this. The tomatoes were flavorful and ripe and the sweet peach was a nice contrast. Wish there was a little more peach.

Mussels and frites. J'adore les moules et frites. With a white wine, garlic, parsley and leeks, the broth was so good I couldn't resist dipping the housemade bread into it.

Herb spaetzle with sauerkraut, gruyere and ham. The spaetzle were good, although the aroma of the sausages at nearby tables was more enticing.

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The menu has some lovely cheeses and draft beers that I would like to try. The prices are also pretty moderate. I'd like to bring my better half here to try out the black pudding or lamb sausage. The inside is pretty vibrant and loud, but the patio area is much quieter and relaxing.

Hiking Adventures

Recently we started hiking different trails in the Shenandoah. It's wonderful to get out in woods, traverse some challenging elevation changes and enjoy some clean, fresh air. In addition to carrying enough water and mugi-cha, we like to bring something good to eat for lunch.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar bento set is perfect for packing lunch for bigger appetites.Hello Kitty bento set works well too.
hand-made onigiri with salmon and shiso furikake

kiwi fruit, blueberries and a tangerine

mixed fruit, grape tomatoes, edamame and onigiri