Taco Tuesday: Tiny Tummy's Chipotle-Replacement Taco Salad

The problem with living alone is that the process of finishing one can of beans, chickpeas, corn, etc. is night a one night ordeal. Granted, canned goods often have enough sodium to make them last a few days, but I usually try to finish cans within consecutive days. I bring this seemingly useless point up because it is actually totally related to the next recipe. The very first meal that I made in my new apartment was my favorite, famous black bean burgers, and although I was cooking for two, that still doesn't knock off an entire can of black beans. So, for dinner the next night, it was either black bean burgers again, or something else-- this recipe. Every time I pass Chipotle, I find myself craving a taco salad or burrito bowl, or something to that extent, so I decided that with my extra beans, a new taco salad would be born.

To make Tiny Tummy's Chipotle-replacement Taco Salad, you will need:
1/4 onion, chopped small
1/8 cup black beans (or more if you have more on hand)-- I used my new faves from Trader Joes
1/4 mango, chopped small
1/4 avocado, chopped
2 T salsa
Mixed greens of your choice (I used spinach, kale, and romaine)

To prepare, start by sautéing your onions in a pan until the brown. Add the black beans and cook for a few minutes just to warm them up. Add the rest of the ingrediens to a bowl (you could chop the lettuce first if you like your salads chopped like I do), followed by your onion and bean mixture, and mix until well combined. Feel free to add some hot sauce or jalapenos if you so choose, as I usually do, but I used a spicy salsa, so I didn't have to!

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Tokyum Salad

Lately, when it comes to new Flab Free Food Finds, it is usually either a result of me food shopping hungry or needing to meet a credit card minimum... this one actually came as a mix of both. I went to grab myself a tofu salad one day after moving, and naturally, the bodega I went into had a $10 credit card minimum. As a two second rant of annoyance, I hate credit card minimums- be happy I'm shopping in your store and swipe my card and consider the ridiculous prices you charge at your bodega to pay for the fee it takes to run my card.

Anyway, to meet the minimum, I came across this vegan Tokyo Seaweed Salad which was basically just wakame seaweed, garlic, carrots, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. I wasn't all that excited to try it because I was annoyed I had to buy it to meet the minimum, but I have to admit, it was really delicious. It was super garlic-y, so I wouldn't suggest it as a pre-date snack, but on a night that you're on your own for din-din, it is a perfectly acceptable option.

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Boasting New Beans

Since I've moved, Trader Joe's has become all the more convenient. My go-to grocery store used to be a supermarket down the block from my old apartment, but now Trader Joe's is actually closer, and since my gym is right next door, it is even more convenient to shop there. Therefore, most of my meals have been from good ole Trader Joe. On my most recent food shopping excursion, I was seriously craving black bean burgers, so I decided to pick up a can of black beans. For whatever reason, their Cuban Style Black Beans were slightly cheaper than the regular ones, so I decided read the ingredients (which were completely clean) and then to give them a go, and woah did they make delicious black bean burgers!!

I highly recommend giving these guys a try the next time you're grabbing black beans. The spices are delish and the only additional visible accouterments are small pieces green peppers (I generally don't like green peppers, but they taste good in here I promise!). Toss the beans on a salad, make black bean burgers, make a black bean dip, or just eat them plain a la rice and beans... go crazy; they're delish! Pin It

The Worst Dish in America Made Over

Full discloser here, folks. One of my all time favorite things to eat growing up is one of the worst dishes in America: Outback's cheese fries. I ate those suckers at least once a month- sauce and all, and I often got the cheese layered. Talk about a diet disaster. Cheese fries, in general, are known as a diet-don't but I have a way that you can enjoy them in a much lighter way.

To make these Less-guilt Cheese Fries, you will need:

1 batch of Tiny Tummy's Turnip Fries

reduced fat cheese of choice

optional: garlic powder, onion powder, salt, etc.

To prepare, whip up a batch of the turnip fries (slice a turnip into fry like shapes and bake on 350 for about 40 minutes) and sprinkle cheese over the top. put into the broiler until the cheese melts and eat up!

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Must-Have Mussels

I always say this, but one of my favorite parts about visiting my parents is getting to use their kitchen and cook for them. The most exciting thing for me is when I get to make something I generally wouldn't make at home, and the last time I visited, I got to make just that. When I was younger, I used to love getting mussels in a white wine sauce when we went out to eat, though I know that the mussels were likely prepared in a less-than-healthy broth of butter, wine, and who knows what else. When I saw that our local fish market had a giant two pound bag of mussels for a reasonable price, I decided to get to work recreating an ole fave, and they were flavorful and delicious.

To make these lightened up mussels, you will need:
2 pounds of mussels **The shells should all be CLOSED-- if there are any that aren't, toss them!
6 cloves of garlic, sliced
2 shallots or 1 white onion, chopped
a splash of white wine
water

To prepare, start by cleaning your mussels if they aren't already, making sure that the mussels are all closed. (If any are open, give them a little tap to see if they shut. If they don't, they are dead and should be tossed). Then, brown your garlic and onions in the bottom of a large pot. Once they have browned, add the wine to deglaze the pan, followed by enough water to allow the broth to steam while the mussels cook. Then, add a steamer basked to your pot followed by the mussels and put a top on the pot, allowing the mussels to steam for about 10 minutes, or until the shells open. You can either serve the mussels with the broth poured over it or just eat the mussels on their own-- either way, they are yummy.

Another note: once the mussels cook, don't eat any that haven't opened. AKA don't pry them open! Pin It

How To Steep Tea

We all know that Tiny Tummy and tea are two peas in a pod, but I realize that although preparing loose leaf tea is second nature to me, it may be a daunting task for some, so I decided to lay it out for you step by step so you're not stuck relying on those pre-bagged sachets because fresh tea is so worth the extra effort.

To make your very own cup of loose leaf tea, you will need:

1 tea ball or empty bag of tea

2 teaspoons fresh, looseleaf tea

1 mug of boiling water 

To prepare, start by putting the tea into the tea bag or ball and securing it shut. They, add the tea to the boiling water and let it steep. For how long, you might be asking? That depends. If you like really strong tea, you're going to want to steep it for longer, whereas if you like just a touch of flavor, you're going to want to leave it in the water for a shorter period of time. The best way to determine your sweet spot is honestly to taste as you go. For weaker tea I would suggest anywhere from 2-4 minutes. For stronger tea, 4 minutes and beyond. I like really strong tea, so I often leave my tea ball in for at least 8 minutes (call me a rebel) and sometimes up to 15 minutes (but I usually sip as I go.

With simplicity like that, it sure makes commercial tea bags look silly, no? The single extra step of putting your own tea in the bag/ball makes a world of difference. If you're an environmentally conscientious person, the tea ball is a great way to save those tea bags (and save yourself money over time!) And if you hate doing dishes, then the bags are the way to go (but you're already washing the mug anyway, right?) The bags are really best if you want to bring your own tea to a restaurant so you can drink something other than water when everyone else is drinking soda (again, save yourself some money too!) We could learn a little something from the tea fanatics in London. If water is not your speed, try tea!

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From Tea to Cider and Every Sip In Between

It doesn't take more than a quick scan of my blog to learn that Tiny Tummy loves tea, so since London is known for its tea, it must not come as a surprise that I went a little tea-crazy in my travels. As a whole, the beverage situation in London is a little different from the US, based on my observations. For example, it wasn't uncommon to see people casually day-drinking at oh, you know, 10:00am. Then again, it was far less common to see drunk teens mindlessly meandering about the streets in the late hours of the night. So, while alcoholic culture may not be absent, it is certainly different. Even the drinks that were most commonly ordered in the bars (yes, Tiny Tummy got a little nosy with other people's drink orders) were often not the vodka on the rocks or rum and coke that we see at bars in the US. Maybe I got a biased sample, but I'd say a casual beer was the most common drink at the bars I went to. And the “girl drink” in London was definitely cider. Perhaps it is because cider here is nothing like cider there, but cider was quite the popular beverage. As someone who doesn't drink (alcohol), I have to say, cider is actually not that bad (granted cider is full of sugar, so you wouldn't catch Tiny Tummy sluggin' it back). London is also known for its Guinness, and again, you're getting a biased sample here because I hate beer, but Guinness was gross. Beyond gross. The guys that I traveled with seemed to like it, but as someone who never drinks beer, it was completely unpalatable, and the other girls who tried it, that do drink beer casually, agreed. If you want a cup of tar, go for Guinness, by all means, but if a lighter beer is more your speed, steer clear.

Anyway, back to the positives: the tea. Oh, the tea. When I walked into the tea stores in London, I felt like a kid in a candy store. For me, a tea shop is a candy store-- especially the ones in London with the most extensive selections of loose leaf tea you could imagine. From the green teas to the hibiscus teas (my personal fav) to the white and black tea blends, the different blends were unreal. My favorite tea store that we went into was Whittard, thanks to the largest selection of decaf hibiscus blends I have ever laid eyes on. I love me a good fruity tea, and Whittard provided blend upon blend of options... and, I mean, I'll probably only be in London once... so I bought one of everything (well, just about everything) in their hibiscus section (I did share with Mommy Tiny Tummy, though). The flavors ranged from “Very Very Berry” to “Acai and Goji Berry” to “Apple and Pomegranate”. Let's just say no fruit went unaccounted for. The store had places to sample all of their teas, coffees, and hot chocolates (the caramel hot chocolate was TO DIE FOR, but not Tiny Tummy-esque). It turns out the "tea" I bought was actually fruity/herbal infusions... either way, totally yummy. If you're exceptionally curious, you can order their teas online, but they are much cheaper in London, even with the nasty conversion rates, so I'm glad I stocked up.

Bottom line: if you're planning a trip to London, I say skip the Guinness and sip the tea.

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Skinny Satay

Dinner is often my favorite meal of the day, probably because I never have the same thing two nights in a row. In London, this meal-bias definitely carried over the first night we were there. The best dinner we had, by far, was on that first night. It was actually a group dinner that consisted of a three course meal (nothing was healthy on the menu they offered us-- every entree was a pot-pie), but I was able to order off of their special diet menu. I ordered chicken satay (sauce on the side), grilled cod, high and dry, and a dessert of frozen berries with warm white chocolate sauce. It was a HUGE portion, so I shared a bit, but all was delicious. (Okay I'll admit, I tasted the delicious cake that everyone else got, but the three small bites I took were enough to leave me feeling satisfied and not deprived with my berries. I also tried the filling of their lentil pot pie which was actually quite tasty!) Since I enjoyed the meal so much, I thought it was only fitting that I created my own, Tiny Tummy-esque version of my favorite course, the appetizer, to share with all of you, so you could bring a taste of my London bites into your own kitchen.

First thing is first: the chicken satay.

To make Tiny Tummy's Skinny Satay, you will need:

4 ounces chicken breast, sliced into strips or chunks

(optional, but recommended: spices of your choice. I seasoned mine with a pinch of each of the following: onion powder, cayenne pepper, fresh ground black pepper, cumin, and paprika)

(also optional: you could skewer the chicken, as chicken satay in America is often prepared this way, but for the purposes of recreating the true London experience, I'm opting against it)

For the Peanut Sauce, you will need:

2 tablespoons all natural peanut butter

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon rice vinegar (if you don't have rice vinegar on hand, apple cider vinegar will do just fine)

For the Cucumber Slaw, you will need:

3 cucumbers, sliced thin

1 red onion, halved and sliced thin

1 red bell pepper, sliced into skinny strips

¼ cup of distilled white vinegar

3 tablespoons of lemon juice

1 teaspoon of Stevia (or sugar)

a pinch of salt

(Note: This recipe will yield WAY more slaw that you need to fit the tiny side-dish-sized portion you need to satisfy this recipe, but it makes a yummy side to keep in your fridge, and one of Tiny Tummy's refrigerator-staples (aka must-haves in the refrigerator) is a cucumber salad very similar to this one)

To prepare, let's start with the chicken. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and arrange your chicken strips/chunks (seasoned, or not) on a lined baking sheet. Bake the chicken for about 15 minutes, or until the pieces are cooked throughout. While the chicken is cooking, you can prepare your sauce. Simply combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and stir until well incorporated. For the slaw, once you've sliced all of your veggies, transfer them to a large bowl, and pour the vinegar and lemon juice over them, followed by the stevia/sugar and salt. Give it a good mix, and allow it to marinate for at least 4 hours before serving. Personally, I like to make this cucumber salad a day in advance and let it soak overnight. Once the chicken is cooked, you can skewer it for presentational purposes, or simply leave it as is and serve it with your sauce and slaw. Bon apetite! 

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Fast Food... Not So Fast

Sure, New York is the city that never sleeps, but even during the day, there is always an extra spring in everyone's step as they feverishly scurry from place to place. I'm a faced-pace gal, so I appreciated this sense of urgency, but when it comes to a vacation, a more relaxed pace is definitely ideal. London may be just as hip and happenin' of a city as New York, but the pace of life is much more relaxed and leisurely than in the Big Apple, and this ease is easily visible in the food culture.

Take “fast food” chains. The idea of fast food in America is generally grab-and-go. Whether it be eating and walking or eating and driving, fast food is not thought of as a sit-down, fine dining experience. Londonites; however, may not agree. Now, I know that McDonald's in Europe and McDonald's in America are fundamentally different-- some Europeans see it as a place to bring the kids for a nice night out-- but I had never really experienced the difference in fast food culture. I passed a few different Pizza Huts in London and couldn't help but peek in after seeing the signs labeled “All you can eat salad bar with every purchase.” It turns out, they were sit-down restaurants with menus and waiters, as opposed to the whole walk up to the counter, order, get your order, and sit back down routine that is commonly exercised in American Pizza Huts. Even Subway looked slightly different with many more chairs and tables than you see in most Subway restaurants in New York. It was not uncommon to see people dining in these chains just as they would a higher-end restaurant... in fact, it was extremely uncommon to see people eating on the streets of London... nothing like the way we picture fast food in America.

Even the restaurant experience, itself, was fundamentally different. First of all, the slower pace of of life is vividly clear in restaurant culture. It took forever to get menus any time we went to a sit down restaurant, the drinks came a good fifteen minutes after you ordered them, and they certainly did not rush between courses. The whole “customer is king” model that we try to exercise in America is not present in London. Maybe this is why Londoners scoff at us Americans and our fast-paced lifestyle, because their meals are so much more leisurely and relaxed. Perhaps if we focused more on the meal, and dedicated more time to each one, we would be a less obese nation. It's a proven fact that the faster you eat, the more you eat, so if we slowed things down, maybe we'd trim some fat off as a result.

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Portion Distortion: The London Edition

We all know that a meal from a restaurant in America is often a meal for two... unless, of course, you are indulging in a tasting menu-style restaurant and paying top dollar to leave hungry. No matter which extreme you choose, clearly, we aren't doing it right. Now, nobody is perfect, but in London, they seem to be a little more aware of the proper portion sizes that make up each part of a meal.

We don't have to turn to My Plate, or any of those other infographics to get a feel for what we should be eating, but we could. Based on the meals served at most restaurants in the US, it may actually come as a shocker to some that vegetables should make up the largest part of the plate. Often, they are absent entirely in American meals. I mean, I get it... restaurants want to serve what people want, and for whatever reason, it seems like there's some common notion that veggies don't win the popularity contest on the plate of an entree. Think about it. If children order chicken fingers and fries or a grilled cheese with fries, there are no veggies in there! (No- ketchup and fries do not count as a serving of vegetables!) At least in London, if you order a plate of fish and chips, you often get some peas along with it. Not to say that that makes up for the fried mess that engulfs the rest of the plate, but at least it gives you the opportunity to fill up on some veggies before you dive head first into the fries. Not to mention, a meal of burger and fries in America often comes with an overflowing plate of fries and a burger that is as big as your face. It shouldn't come as a surprise that that is way more food that one person should eat in one meal... and it probably contains enough saturated fat to last you a week. In London, every time someone ordered a dish with a side of chips, it came with an actual side of chips- just a few chips-- not an overflowing mound of potatoes that could feed a small village of children. In retrospect, if you wanted to indulge in an order of chips every now and then in London, it wouldn't be such a bad thing. And while the burger does not adhere to the recommended 3 to 4 ounce serving of ground beef that the average person should consume in one meal, it's nothing near the “double pounder” that is far too common in America. And, for a dish that would, in fact, come with vegetables of some sort, such as a fish dish with a side salad, the American version differed than the ones I saw in London. The cod and salad I got my first night in London would make a health-junkie proud. I would say I got about a 6 ounce piece of fish with a salad that was bigger than the fish. Unheard of, folks! In America, if I ordered a fish dinner that came with a side of vegetables, which I often do, I think I'd feel privileged if I got six pieces of broccoli without having to pay extra, let alone a whole salad!

Anyway, onto dessert... One of my favorite quotes that a waitress asked while we were in London was if we'd like to “split a dessert”. She didn't ask if we wanted dessert, but if we wanted to split one. I guess it's not common for everyone to get their own dessert in London whereas here, I'm often the odd one out when I opt not to take a peak at the dessert menu. Points for London in the health department right there! I'm not advocating that the dessert, itself, is any healthier, but if all you had was a bite or two of dessert each time you indulged, it wouldn't be so bad. And, if a waitress approached you with a dessert menu in America and asked if you and your friend would like to share a dessert, I have to think she would get a funny look-- I bet some people would even be offended. Then again, maybe it would encourage people to reconsider that gigantic piece of chocolate cake, and maybe opt to split a lighter dessert with a friend just to get a little taste of something sweet. Don't get me wrong, no matter how you slice it, cake is cake... but a thinner slice (a sliver, if you will), is bound to have less of an effect on your waistline, and if you replaced every large slice with a bite, we'd have a thinner nation. Portion distortion is everywhere, but the US is exceptionally guilty.

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London Lovin: My First Series

I'm going to do something I haven't really done before. With the exception of "Taco Tuesday," which makes an appearance every so often, I don't think I've ever created a series of blog posts that coincide with a relating theme. Until Now. The next few posts will be a series about what I learned in London-- a little bit about their food culture, the differences from America, and maybe even a recipe or guide or something like that. If you guys like the idea of these series, send me an email or leave a comment and let me know, and I will consider doing some more in the future. Keep an eye out for tomorrow's post and the first one in the series! Pin It

Movin' on Up

I thought an update post was necessary at this point, since I have been blogging for over a year and rarely miss a post, and in the last few weeks, my posts have been rather scattered. There is an explanation... I'm moving. For anyone who has gone through a move, you know it's a HUGE pain, and to be totally honest, cooking hasn't exactly been at the top of my to-do list lately, and neither has supermarket scoping, so I apologize for the lack of posts. I am officially moving TOMORROW though, but into a much smaller kitchen-- don't worry, this won't derail my cooking efforts... just might make me a little more inventive. As an update though, if you want to see Tiny Tummy take on the big screen, the episode of Dr. Oz that I was on airs TOMORROW (Wednesday 5/29) at 4pm, so be sure to watch.

That's all I've got for now. Once I'm settled into the new apartment, I will be sure to post lots of new recipes and Flab Free Food Finds to keep you guys busy, but until then, I'm packing, unpacking, and shopping til I drop for new apartment necessities. Pin It

Brad's Kale Chip Makeover

Move aside Brad. Tiny Tummy has your 'Raw Leafy Kale Chips' beat. I'll be the first to admit, I am a huge fan of Brad's Kale chips, but those things are EXPENSIVE!!! Luckily for all of us, I found a way to recreate the chips (to the best of my ability), so you can make your own for much less money.

To make these mock Brad's, you will need:
1/2 cup cashews, raw
1/4 cup sunflower seeds, raw
1/2 bell pepper
the juice of 1/2 a lemon
3/4 cup water
2 T onion powder
2 T garlic powder
pinch of salt
optional: for the spicy flavored chips, add cayenne, to taste

1 large bunch of kale, broken into pieces

To prepare, start by putting your own on 'warm,' or no higher than 200 degrees. Put all of the ingredients except the kale into a food processor and process until there are no lumps. Pour the mixture over the kale chips and bake for an hour and a half. Let sit and crisp for a few minutes and eat up! Pin It

Grand ole granola

Full disclosure here, this recipe is a bit indulgent, but still probably slightly less indulgent than its supermarket counterpart. Granola is one of those faux diet foods (not entirely sure how it got a healthy rep, but then again I'm not sure how cottage cheese was the thing to eat at one point either...) and it's usually quite expensive. You can actually make your own granola using just three ingredients.

To make Tiny Tummy's less-guilt granola, you will need:
1 cup oats
1 cup mixed nuts
maple syrup to taste (enough to coat the nuts and granola without leaving it goopy)

To prepare, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grind nuts and oats in a food processor until it is in small pieces (you could just grind the nuts and leave the oats whole if you'd prefer that). Transfer to a bowl and add maple syrup (you can add water to thin it and use less), and mix well until the entire mixture is coated. Spread mixture on a lined baking sheet and bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until the granola has started to crisp up. It keeps best in an air tight container, but will start to lose its crunch over time, so no need to go crazy making a gigantic batch! Pin It

Black Bean Burgerama

I'm beyond excited to share one of my old favorite recipes with you all tonight. I would make these once a week if I didn't waste a whole can of beans, half an onion, etc, etc in the process. It's a great recipe to make for company and sure to please anyone (it's vegetarian, gluten free, has the word 'burger' in its name, and flat out delicious). It's also super clean, packed with protein and fiber, and super easy to make. Just make them and taste them- I'm selling them to you here, but I swear they sell themselves!

To make these black bean burgers, you will need: (serves 2-3)

1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 onion, chopped
4 oz mushrooms, chopped
1 egg
garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, cayenne, paprika, chili powder to taste

To prepare, start by mashing your beans until it is as close to chunk-free as you can get it (yes, I just made up a word!) Set them aside, and saute your onions and mushrooms in a pan until onions are translucent. Add the onions and mushrooms to the bowl with the beans, and preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Beat the egg in a separate bowl then add to beans with spices and get ready to get DIRTY. Roll your sleeves up and mash everything together with your hands (you could probably do it with a spoon, but I like to think it really does work best to do it with your hands-- get everything really mixed up in there!) Finally, form the mixture into patties and spray a baking sheet with coconut oil spray and place patties on the tray. Bake anywhere from 20-40 minutes depending upon if you just want them heated throughout (the egg cooked through also!) or you want them really crispy. You could pan fry them if you prefer that, but definitely a little healthier to bake them! Serve with sliced avocado, salsa, sliced tomato and lettuce, and if you're feelin' frisky like I was, slice some mango to pair with it also. SO yummy! Pin It