Zucchini-Tomato-Hearts of Palm Salad

Simple, healthy salad inspired from a recipe in Nancy Silverton's "A Twist of the Wrist". She actually recreated it based on a dish by Chef Waxman of Barbuto in NYC.  The basic ingredients of hearts of palm and zucchini remain the same but I had a few additions and alternations to come up with this recipe.

INGREDIENTS
14 oz jar hearts of palm - chopped
1 zucchini - quartered and chopped thinly
2 1/2 cups of cherry tomatoes - halved (Cherubs are my favorite)

1/8 cup of extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup (heaping) Parmesan cheese - shredded

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

TOOLS

chef's knife
cutting board
grater
teaspoon
measuring cup
plastic container with top
can opener

 INSTRUCTIONS
Chop all of the vegetables and mix with olive oil, cheese and lemon zest.  Shake and serve immediately or for best results, refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.  You can serve as a side salad or over a bed of leafy lettuce.   One of my favorites eaten during brunch - served on a bed of red tipped lettuce and topped with a poached egg.

SUBSTITUTIONS
The substitution options are endless for the vegetables.  Consider the season and what's fresh in your region.  Seasonal veggies = money savings.
Tomatoes: Red Bell Peppers
Zucchini: Asparagus, Fennel, Squash, Snap Peas, Green Beans
Cheese: Percorino Romano, Asiago, Gouda
Lettuce:  Green leafy, Iceberg, Romaine, Spinach, Arugula, Escarole, Endive
Lemon Zest:  Orange Zest, Lime Zest
Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Grapeseed Oil, Sunflower Oil, perhaps Canola

Preparation Time: 20 mins or less
Servings: 4 (1 1/4 cups each)
Weight Watchers Points: 4 points per serving (with poached egg 6 points)

Food Planning 102

The second part of planning is figuring out what to cook and then shop for at the store. This goes back to the first section, Food Planning 101.  Mainly think what you like and how long you have to make it.  This should take only 15-25 minutes but can go much longer if you browse.  Add up the planning from 101 - you have now taken a total of 30-35 minutes to plan for a week's worth of food.  Saves money and thinking time!

Start with the big meals first because you may be able to implement leftovers into other meals.  Some great resources for recipes are online!  That's where I get some of my ideas!  You can google "Chicken recipes" and a whole list of recipe sites will come up.  My go to is the Food Network site. I like to check out my favorite chefs (Alton, Mario, & Giada) and you can sort if by difficulty (ie time).  I also tear out recipes from magazines and put it a while for the next week or so.

Dinner:  I am a fowl gal -- no, not foul, fowl!  I heart chicken and turkey.  According to Food Planning 101, I will have 2 nights that I can make dinner and the other probably a frozen meal.  Hatch chili's are in season!
Chicken & Hatch Chili Stacked Enchiladas
Mini Turkey Burgers with Tzatziki Sauce

Lunch:  Making lunch for 2 of the days and frozen meals for the other 2.  Thinking how can I use some of the ingredients from the dinners for lunch...
Tex-Mex Turkey Chapulas
Chicken Salad

Snacks: Apples, grape salad, and pita chips with tzatziki sauce, tortilla chips with hatch chili salsa

Breakfast: I want something fast, easy and healthy.  A good friend of mine, Rhain, personal trainer, nutritionist, and owner of Invidia Health & Fitness, suggests to start the morning with some fat and protein.  This will help wake up your system and kick off the day with a little bit of energy.
Hard-boiled egg & string cheese during the week & weekends egg white breakfast taco

Next up:  Conquering the Grocery Store

Food Planning 101

STEP ONE:  Planning & Researching

Okay, I know, I know... I can hear you now --- Planning and Researching food?  YES!  A little thought goes a long way. I promise it not only gets easier the more you do it but this step alone will save you money and brain cells as you try answer "What to eat" after a long day or work and/or managing your loving family.

1.  WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, HOW & WHY:  Think realistically about your meals, likes and dislikes, habits, time, etc.  This should take only 2-5 minutes.  Food Planning Worksheet

2. Review and decide what this means for you.

These are my answers...
1. MORNING:  I am a chronic snoozer, roll out of bed and goer, usually don't even eat breakfast.
LUNCH:  Sometimes I can come home to eat.  I eat fast food when I don't have anything to eat at home or forgot my lunch at home and there is no time to go back home.
SNACKS:  I like to snack in the afternoon.  Usually it is whatever is leftover in the kitchen at work, which tends to be chips or kolaches, etc.
DINNER:  Sometimes late, sometimes early, changes based on my schedule. 99% of the time cooking just for myself.  I do go to eat with friends usually on the weekend. I really only want to spend 30 minutes at the VERY most cooking a meal during the week.
 My schedule this week...
Monday - Labor Day - no work!  On tap: Laundry, cleaning, errands, and pool with friends at 2pm
Tuesday - First day back from vacation conference call at 3pm,  workout class at 6pm, home by 7:30pm
Wednesday - work until 5:30pm and dinner with friends at 6:30pm
Thursday - Seminar from 9am - 12pm, done with work at 5:30pm, workout home by 7:30pm
Friday - Teaching NALP course from 9am - 11am, no evening plans, probably happy hour
Saturday - Brunch with friends
Sunday - completely open

2. For me it means...
Breakfast: always on the go
Lunch:  home for lunch on Wed, Thu & bring lunch on Tuesday & Friday bc I know those will be busy days or we are short staffed in the office
Dinner: Dinner at home: Mon, Tue, Thurs and probably one of the meals is going to be a frozen one due to just being pooped from the day
Saturday & Sunday:  Is when I usually eat out

When I spend on average...(groceries, fast food, ordering in, etc)
No planning: $130-$150 per week for just me
With planning:  $50-$70 per week for just me

More to come... Food Planning 102

Back in the Saddle...again

I have taken a long sabbatical from cooking - about 3 years to be exact; however, I think it is time.  The toughest part is sometimes knowing where to start.  I think that may be the issue for many people.  Cooking can be overwhelming with recipe overload, venturing to the grocery store, looking at all these ingredients and thinking - when I am I going to have time to do this!?!  Baby steps --- Let's start with finding a saddle... STEP ONE:  Planning and Researching.