Hello readers and welcome back! I took last week off from blogging and from working too in order to welcome by best friend Lynn to California for her first time here, ever! We’ve been best friends since the seventh grade if you can believe it… 22 years and counting… and even though we live on opposite sides of the country, it feels like we spend little time apart. So of course I had to introduce her to the Central Coast, Yummy Yogini style, sampling our local wines and champagnes, fresh farm to table food and the mountains that she couldn’t believe even existed… chalk that up to the movies only featuring the beach, instead of our beautiful surrounding views!
Cheers to Us!
I recently discovered the most amazing place in Los Olivos called SAARLOOS + Sons that specializes in cupcake tasting and wine tasting… at the same time! Genius, I know! They also have a small photo booth in house so you can make some fun memories. The cupcakes come in small half dozen egg cartons and the flavors ranged from Black Raspberry Syrah and Vanilla Bean to Carmel Chocolate and Strawberry Shortcake. If you live in the area, you MUST check it out! We also went to Sycamore Springs for some hot tubbing, we hosted a Girl’s Wine Down Party and attended a Hawaiian Luau, not to mention we wine tasted and wine tasted and wine tasted!
Check out the cupcakes in Lynn’s hand!
We absolutely enjoyed ourselves too much and I was so sad to see her go. Operation “Get Lynn to move to California” is officially in effect. So I’m back to my usual routine of yoga, yoga and more yoga and this week, I’m answering a question that was left on my website about how healthy people eat Mexican food. Most of you probably think this is impossible and my bet is that you’re the one who orders multiple baskets of chips and salsa when dining out on top of those tacos or fajitas or enchiladas that you’re ordering with layer upon layer of tortilla. Sound familiar? I can hear the gas from here! So I’m sharing two of my favorite recipes and ways to eat Mexican food without all the carbs. These are quick recipes that I make in the afternoon in between classes, and then reheat when I get home. And it goes without saying, if you don’t eat meat, don’t add it. Both recipes are delicious with or without. Easy peesy!
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Taco Turkey Quinoa Skillet Salad- serves 2-4
Ingredients:
-1.5 lb ground turkey
-1 cup dry quinoa
-1 can of corn
-1 can of red kidney beans
-1 red onion, chopped
-4 small tomatoes (from my garden!)
-1.5 cups water
-salt and pepper
-avocado, scallions, cheese or sour creme all optional for toppings
Directions:
1. In a large skillet or sauté pan, brown the onions and turkey meat together.
2. Then add the corn, beans, tomatoes and the water.
3. Bring to a boil and then add the quinoa.
4. Cover your pan for 20-25 minutes or until the quinoa has popped and the water, absorbed.
5. For a garnish use sliced avocado, scallions, cheese or sour creme. To make this a salad, just add lettuce and serve! Easy peesy, clean and quick!
I love a plate with color!
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Mini Bell Pepper Tacos- serves two
Ingredients:
-5 mini bell peppers (get colorful!)
-1 and 1/2 cup Mexican Chorizo- (substitute ground turkey or beef or don’t use any meat!)
-8 oz. canned black beans, rinsed
-4 oz. canned green chilies
-1 red onion, chopped finely
-1/2 zucchini, chopped finely
-1/2 tomato, chopped finely
-1/2 avocado
-1 tsp. taco seasoning
-arugula
-olive oil
-salt and pepper
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 450. On a small baking sheet, place the peppers (stems and all) and some olive oil, salt and pepper, and let bake until they start to blacken. This should take at least 10 minutes.
2. While you are baking those, slice up your vegetables. In a large sauté pan, add the onions first and let them cook for 3-4 minutes, then add the zucchini, tomato, taco seasoning, salt and pepper. Let cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add in the chorizo or not, if you’re vegetarian. Cover this and stir occasionally for another 5 minutes. My chorizo was frozen so I had to do a quick de-thawing. That’s why it still looks like a brick!
4. When all the meat is cooked through and everything is brown, add the beans and chilies. Drain them first if they are canned. Stir everything together and take off the heat.
5. Take out the peppers and let cool. Pull off the stems, slice them in half and take the seeds out.
6. On a large plate, place a bed of arugula and then the peppers on top. Stuff the peppers with the chorizo mixture and place some extra on the side with the sliced avocado. Beautiful, Colorful and Delish! Like the look of these? Check out another stuffed pepper recipe here!
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I’m going to leave you with two book recommendations today, as per usual. I’ve just finished reading Just Kids by Patti Smith about her friendship/ love affair with Robert Mapplethorpe and his untimely death from Aids. Patti herself is a poet so I expected nothing less than a poetically written book and she did not disappoint. I listened to the audio and loved her accent; a mixture of rock n’ roll does New Jersey. And I’ve just started reading Lost Memory of Skin by Russell Banks that my friend Kathy recommended. I was intrigued at the title, nevermind the unfolding story of a convicted sex offender with no where to go when he mets a professor who wants to support him financially as well as emotionally. If you enjoy a page turner, this is one for sure!
