Blog Posts - Foods. Fitness. Fabulous YOU.

@Whereslloyd

8/21/2015

Lloyd's was down the street from my office downtown today. Okay, truth is, they are parked in that same spot at least once a week in the summer, but I try to be good and bring my lunch to work every day, in my flower-covered lunchbox, actually.

I've only ever had Lloyd's tacos at the Taste of Buffalo last and this past year. Bu today was the day where I planned on going out to lunch with co-workers and we all happened to agree on Lloyd's. That was it. Simple, easy decision.

The trouble with Lloyd's is the line. Sometimes it can literally be a half hour long plus the wait for your food to be made fresh for you by one of the three truck-workers. Those people work hard, let me tell you.

But the line is always the deal breaker. Today, when we walked by, it was nonexistent which is a rarity, so we went for it and my co-workers and I made a line of our own in front of the lime green truck!

Once we got back to the office, I could not wait to dive into that green cardboard box, not just because it's my favorite color, but the smell seeping through the cracks was unforgettable.

I love Mexican food, but Lloyd's is different. It is its own type of food.

I cannot believe I waited this long to order my first ever El Camino (burrito bowl with black beans, rice, sliced cabbage, fresh cilantro, pickled onions and shredded cheese) from Lloyd's.

I was in heaven earlier at work and I cannot wait for my next Lloyd's experience!

Homemade BBQ Sauce

8/15/2015

BBQ sauce is my go-to-for-everything sauce. I douse my organic chicken, veggie burgers, sometimes freshly steamed or grilled vegetables or even homemade baked fries into BBQ sauce. Oh, and I am guilty of even adding it into my egg scrambles sometimes, too. Okay, yes, sounds a little gross but it's really not! I guess I'd consider myself a condiment girl!

If I am using store-bought sauce, I stick with Dinosaur BBQ sauce. It is the best, with minimal ingredients but the sweet yet tangy flavor gets me every time.

Last week, Jordan made his own BBQ chicken for dinner and the sauce was from scratch! It was fantastic; the rich, thick consistency but still using fresh, real, ingredients. I loved it. Here is the recipe, thanks to the famous Food Network!

Ingredients:
1 slice bacon (we omitted because we do not eat bacon but feel free to add in)
1 bunch fresh thyme
Extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 cups ketchup
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses (we used agave nectar in place)
2 tablespoons red or white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika or smoked paprika if available
Freshly ground black pepper

I unfortunately don't have any extravagant photos to share, but I'm telling you, it was top-notch sauce. Give it a try!

Family-Approved Veggie Burgers

8/1/2015

Beef, lamb, bison, turkey? How about meat-free veggie and bean burgers this time? With such an abundance of options at the grocery store, there are literally enough to switch it up every day of the week! But, it is important to go meat-free at least once a week.

I came home from work yesterday to a house smelling like beans and crisp potatoes baking in the oven. Jordan was at it again, chopping up peppers, onions, jalapenos, artichokes, parsley and pounding those black beans hard. Then a few minutes later, he was folding scoops into Saran Warp to prep for cooking....laughing, I asked what in the world he was doing. He showed me this cool new trick...

I was stunned at my 13 year-old brother's brilliant perfect-burger finding. He said "it's all Guy Fierri, Sarah."

These are a great way to freeze your uncooked burgers, too! Thanks, Jordan!

Anyways, here is Guy's recipe that won't let you and your meat-loving family down! Afterall, Guy is a meat obsessed-guy (no pun intended) himself....and if he liked these burgers, I know your family and friends will feel the same way!

Ingredients:
2 ounces olive oil
3 tablespoons diced red onion
2 tablespoons diced black olives
2 tablespoons diced red bell peppers
1 teaspoon diced jalapeno
1 1/2 tablespoons diced garlic
1 tablespoon diced artichoke
4 ounces black beans, drained
4 ounces chickpeas, drained
4 ounces white beans, drained
6 ounces rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon Hungarian paprika
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 teaspoon ground sage
2 tablespoons seasoned bread crumbs
1 egg

Directions:
In a medium saute pan over medium heat, add 1-ounce olive oil and all raw vegetables except beans. Saute until translucent. Remove and cool.

Add veggies to beans and mix thoroughly. Add all dry ingredients along with the egg. Thoroughly mix all ingredients and form into 4 patties, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

In saute pan add 1-ounce olive oil, and cook patties 2 to 3 minutes per side.

Taste of Buffalo

7/19/2015

Thai, Mexican, Caribbean, Italian, Chinese, Vietnamese, American, and so many more. You'll find it all at the Taste of Buffalo, also known as, the largest two-day food festival in the country.

My favorite part of the Taste, aside from the fact that it's a food-fueled weekend, is that there are healthy options at every restaurant tent! Healthy options are required, and I think it is the best idea. Even small portions of foods, if you have many of them, can add up really quick calorically. It's great knowing you can go to such a fun event, eat yummy food and still feel great when you leave!

Here were a few of my favorite options at this weekend's Taste!

Meditteranean is one of my favorite types of food, so this was happily my first spending of tickets! It was a Mediterranean platter, with red pepper hummus, bruschetta, couscous, cucumber slices and thick, warm pita slices! I loved it!

Then came the Arugula salad tasting from Osteria. Arugula is not usually my thing, even though I eat tons of lettucy greens, but this was fabulous. I think their magic touch and dressing made it taste the best I've ever tried!

Seafood ceviche form _Snooty Fox was next on the menu. I LOVE seafood so this was right up my alley. Such juicy, lump shrimp and crab meat all tossed together with greens and tasty seasonings.

Who ever thought that gluten-free could taste so delicious to someone who can freely eat gluten? I'll be the first to raise my hand! But this dish proved me wrong. This gluten-free potato pancake from Ulrich's Tavern reminded me of Passover, the Jewish holiday where we fry potatoes, creating potato pancakes! But these were oddly better than any potato pancakes I've ever had, and they typically have flour in the batter, so I was thoroughly impressed.

On to dessert. Now, you know that my weakness is ice cream (well frozen yogurt, actually), but the gelato option was there so I had to take it. Sweet Melody's is THE place in Buffalo for some real, Italian ice cream (AKA gelato).
Did you know that gelato is actually produced with less cream and more milk than traditional ice cream? But I still think it tastes like custard, with that rich and creamy taste in your mouth. All I can say is that my peanut butter and strawberry gelato, I have no regrets about...

Last but not the least was a sponge candy caramel cannoli, from Panaros Restaurant. I can admit that I did not order this, but my friend tried it. She said it was heavenly and after seeing her facial expression when she dug into it, I only wished I had 6 tickets left to have just one bite...

New-Found Snack Addictions

7/3/2015

These are my new-found addictions. With all of the food that I eat every day, I am always on the lookout for new, fun, delicious and, of course, healthy snacks to satisfy my taste buds. Let me share my new finds with you that fit each of my categories.

The Himalayan Pink Popcorn by LesserEvil is actually incredible. Popcorn has never been my snack of choice, but this kind captures my taste buds like not other. I think the key ingredients, organic coconut oil and Himalayan salt, just complement each other so perfectly. They create the best slightly cocoNUTTY flavored popcorn you'll ever buy. I literally cannot get enough of this popcorn. It is just so light, fluffy and heavenly delicious. With just 35 calories per cup, you will never feel guilt after indulging in this.

My second new favorite snack is sea salt roasted chickpeas, by The Good Bean. GMO-free, soy-free, gluten-free, nut-free and vegan, they are suitable for a wide variety of people! Crunchy, and tastily satisfying, there is nothing to be ashamed about when you dive into this bag. As an added bonus, chickpeas are high in fiber and protein to keep you feeling full for hours! These guys are great to toss into salads, soups, trail mix, but are the best straight out of the bag!

They also come in a variety of flavors: coconut lemongrass, cracked pepper, smoky chili and lime, cinnamon, BBQ and chocolate. Although I have not tried any other flavors besides sea salt and chili lime, I will be taste-testing them all very soon!

The last snack that I will rant to you about is Crispy Clusters, by Pure Organic, particularly the Honey Peanut flavor. These bite-size snacks are decadently delicious but with a healthy twist. Who doesn't love peanut butter? I can admit that I have a bit of an unhealthy obsession with any type of nut butter.

Anyways, these snacks are gluten-free, GMO-free and so simple and pure but filled with such rich flavor, it'll amaze you. Packed with whole grains, low in sugar and filled with fiber, protein and healthy fats from nuts, they are a cluster of health. As with the peas, these clusters also come in a few other flavors: salted caramel and chocolate pecan

Which snack will be your new favorite, secret addiction?

Chocolate Quinoa Brownies

6/23/2015

If you like chocolate, quinoa and brownies separately, I can almost guarantee that you will enjoy this mashed together creation.

My favorite thing to do in my free time is browse through the hundreds of thousands of posts on Pinterest. Maybe I even have a Pinterest addiction...okay, I admit it.

So, you guessed right, this is another Pinterest recipe. These chocolate quinoa brownies are whole grain, gluten-free, can be made vegan, and are high in protein.

Thank you to DAMY Health, I was able to create my own version of these.

My version of these brownies came out cakey and fluffy and had me drooling on their oven exit. Here is the original version:

Ingredients:

1 Cup Cooked Quinoa-- I had to use about 1/2 cup extra
2 Packets Truvia (or Stevia of Choice)
1/4 Cup Cocoa
1/4 Cup Unsweetened Almond Milk-- I used sweetened Vanilla because that's all that was in the fridge
3 Tbsp Plain Pumpkin Puree-- I did not use
2 Eggs (or 1/4 Cup Ground Flax, 2 Tbsp Water and 2 Tbsp Nut Butter)
1 Tbsp Vanilla
2 Tbsp Agave (or Honey/Stevia)-- I only used one
1/8 Tsp Baking Soda
1/4 Cup Dark Chocolate Chips

Directions:

Place all ingredients (excluding the dark chocolate chips) into the food processor and blend until smooth. If it is too runny like mine was, add in extra quinoa to thicken the batter.

Below was my perfect batter with the added quinoa.

Pre-heat your oven to 375 F.
Stir chocolate chips into pureed batter.
Grease your 8×8 baking dish.
Spread batter evenly into pan.
Bake for 19-22 minutes.
Remove brownies from oven and let set for 5-10 minutes before moving to a cooling rack.
Let cool and cut into bars.

The brownies were not as sweet as regular brownies, but if you're looking for that "guiltless after-dinner treat," these are your fix :).

Have fun bake-bake-baking away!

The Best Meatless Burgers

5/29/2015

As you know, my brothers are hard to please when it comes to food. But I am happy to say that last night was a success!

I found this seemingly yummy looking recipe on Pinterest which then brought me to this inspiring blog, Ambitiouskitchen.com. I follow ambitious kitchen on Instagram, too, and her posts never cease to make me drool.

Anyways, this garbanzo bean burger recipe was one that will be repeated many times in this house. The burgers were so flavorful and filling yet still light and healthy.

Here is the recipe, thanks to Ambitious Kitchen!

Ingredients:

1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 cloves garlic
8 large basil leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, if you like a tiny bit of heat
1/8 teaspoon tumeric
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/4 cup diced red onion (I used white and didn't notice a difference)
1/2 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs, plus more if needed (I made my own oat flour and used that instead!)
Optional: 1/4 cup diced bell pepper or shredded carrot (I did not use either but will definitely try next time)
1 teaspoon olive oil, for cooking the burgers
Toppings: Sliced Avocado, spinach, sliced tomato, red onion
Whole grain or gluten free buns or lettuce wraps

Instructions:

In the bowl of a food processor, add in chickpeas, garlic, basil, lemon juice, cumin, cayenne pepper, tumeric and salt and pepper and process until coarsely chopped but not completely liquid-like. Transfer to bowl and fold in egg, onion and breadcrumbs. You can also add in 1/2 cup of diced bell pepper or shredded carrots if you'd like. Mold into four patties, add more breadcrumb if the patties are too wet. I found that 1/2 cup was perfect for me, but it may be different for you.
Place patties on a baking sheet lined with wax paper, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes or up to 2 hours.
Next make your pesto by adding all of the pesto ingredients besides the water to the bowl of a food processor. Process a few times the slowly add in water until pesto reaches a thick but spreadable consistency. Transfer to a container and refrigerate for optimal storage.
Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Add patties and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Serve on a bun or in a lettuce wrap and add two tablespoons of pesto on top. Makes 4 patties.

I doubled this recipe and next time I make it, I'll triple it. Yes, the 8 burgers were devoured up that quickly in my house.

Have fun baking :).

Israeli Food Heaven

5/26/2015

I've been a bit MIA for the past few weeks, I know. Between college graduation, packing up my campus house, unpacking and then repacking for the most incredible 10-day adventure I just came back from, and then unpacking again from that trip, I've been too busy for my head to even think straight. But I am back and am for good especially now that summer is here and that means time for trying new recipes!

So I wanted to share my latest travels with you. I returned from Israel just a few short days ago. Every Jewish adult aged 18-26 has an opportunity to go on an almost entirely paid trip to Israel (our homeland) for 10 days. I say "almost" because we were responsible for lunch at whichever restaurant was nearby, everyday. But this was the fun part for me because at our hotels, therefore for breakfast and dinner, we were served buffets. The buffets were excellent but got a bit repetitive and lunch was a great changeup everyday.

The food in Israel is amazing, well if you like hummus, falafel, schwarma (shaved lamb in a pita with toppings) and schnitzel (fried chicken in a pita with toppings). Hummus is one of my food addictions. I feel like I can never get enough. Well, I definitely got my share in Israel, to the point that I need to take a break from it now, which has never happened before!

This was one of my lunch plates in the gift shop and restaurant building at the bottom of our long hike up and down the historical Masada. Hummus with tahini (crushed sesame seeds) is at the bottom of the plate, seasoned chicken on the right, shaved beet salad going counter clockwise around the plate, then a coleslaw type salad and finishing with the famous Israeli salad (tomatoes and cucumbers sliced up)

Above was another one of my mouthwatering lunches. This was a turkey shwarma plate though, not chicken like in the previous photo. Aside from the plates, I had a few lunches wrapped in a pita with the traditional french fries on top of the meat, Israeli salad, hummus and coleslaw mixes.

I just couldn't get enough of this food. Our breakfasts consisted of buffets filled with freshly cut vegetables, traditional sauces (tzadziki, labne and sometimes hummus), cottage cheese, cheeses, scrambled and hard-boiled eggs and usually a few cereal choices. I couldn't complain.

A few of my other food addictions while I was exploring Israel were chocolate-filled Bamba. Bamba is a popular peanut butter flavored snack food in Israel. It comes in a few different flavors but chocolate was my favorite by far.

My last continual thirst craving was flavored water, but better than flavored waters in America! This water came in peach, grape and green apple flavored, but peach was the best in my opinion.

And that was my rant about the food in Israel and now I hope you can sort of understand why I couldn't get enough of it!

Thanks for reading :).

Delicious Avocado Chocolate Pudding

5/6/2015

Who would ever think that avocados mixed with cocoa and peanut butter would actually hit that sweet spot? Well, until you try this pudding recipe, you will never know.

My friend, whom I've talked about many times before, Taylor (everyday_vegan), was the one who mentioned that she had made it last week. Hers didn't turn out as she'd expected, but she made me challenge myself to find a mouth-watering recipe that my beloved, picky, younger brothers would like, too. Getting a double thumbs up is always my goal with cooking/baking.

I began searching the infamous Pinterest for healthy avocado pudding recipes. Thanks to minimalistbaker for their recipe, I gave their's a shot and it was a huge success! Not only is this recipe vegan AND gluten free, but it's creamy, decadent, a balancing act between peanutey and chocolatey and actually pretty healthy.

Here is the recipe that I followed:

1 1/2 ripe avocados
1 large ripe banana
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa or cacao powder
1/2 cup salted creamy or crunchy peanut butter
~1/2 cup sweetener of choice i.e. maple syrup, agave, date paste or honey if not vegan (amount will vary with preferred sweetness)
~1/4 cup almond milk or other non-dairy milk (slightly more if using dates)

INSTRUCTIONS

Add all ingredients except coconut whip into a food processor and blend until creamy and smooth. Add more dairy-free milk to thin/help blend. Add more cocoa powder for a richer chocolate flavor. Add more sweetener of choice to enhance sweetness.
Divide between 6 small serving glasses, cover with plastic wrap (pressing the plastic wrap down on the pudding to prevent a skin from forming) and chill for a few hours, or overnight.
Before serving, top with coconut whipped cream and drizzle of salted peanut butter.
Leftovers will keep in the fridge up to a few days, though best when fresh.

NOTES

I used sweetened vanilla almond milk.
I only used about 1/4 cup of agave and it was sweet enough for my liking.
I used creamy peanut butter, but in reality it won't matter with the food processor.
I used store-bought whipped cream and it was great.

It's That Time of Year Again!

4/8/2015

Passover!

Well, we are five days in at this point, but there are still three to go before our Jewish holiday is over! I think Passover is one of my most favorite holidays, because the huge dinner (called Seder) Friday and then again Saturday evening is literally heaven-- so much food! And for most people it is a time to unite with family and friends too.

Incase you don't know the first thing about Passover aside from the word, I will tell you little bit about it! Passover is a holiday typically celebrated sometime in April. The date is all dependent on the Hebrew calendar, though, so every year it is slightly different.

Passover lasts for eight days and celebrates the emancipation of the slaves in Israel. We eat matzah to help us understand what our ancestors were forced to consume when they fled Jerusalem so quickly that their bread didn't have time to rise. Therefore, on Passover, we cannot eat anything that rises ("chametz" in Hebrew), such as wheat, barley, oats, spelt and rye.

Yep, this means no crackers, cake, cookies, bread, cereal, oatmeal, bagels, muffins, doughnuts, to name a few. In the grand scheme of things, Passover is not a difficult holiday. Now-a-days, there are so many non-Passover versions of foods like Passover-safe noodles, cake and pancake mix, etc.

But the main staple in our 8-day diet is matzah which is a thin cracker that you can basically put any topping on that may go on a bagel or bread. I love putting Nutella and peanut butter on mine while my boyfriend loves doing cream cheese and jelly and my mom enjoys hummus. The famous concoction is matzah pizza. It's a great and quick dinner alternative to that favorite American classic.

While you can now buy whole wheat matzah, egg matzah (a moister cracker-consistency) and chocolate covered versions, to be completely honest, most of my Passover days consist of an abundance of fruits and veggies.

I hope all of you had a great Passover or Easter holiday!
Thanks for reading :).

Author

Hi, I'm Sarah! Thanks for checking out my blog. I'm a recent Syracuse University graduate, working at a public relations agency in Downtown Buffalo. If I'm not blogging, you'll find me cooking, exercising, traveling, grabbing lunch with friends, running to Starbucks for that unsweetened iced greed tea with light ice or listening to country music while multitasking. :)

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