Some [Monday] Sweetness

Whenever my family has a birthday or holiday get-together, we always have two types of dessert. One is almost always inevitably chocolate cake and two is a variety of fruit tarts for the non-cake eaters. Why? Well, aside from the fact that we all love and adore food (and no the fruit tarts are not there as the healthier option), we have two different palettes to satisfy. It's hard to believe that in France for example (the land where my father comes from), it's actually rare to have "birthday" type cakes for dessert (i.e. any type of spongy cake with frosting). Instead fruit tarts and fruit pies/cakes (with no frosting) are the big thing so we've always had the addition of fruit tarts.

But since we have to please both the French and American taste buds, we threw in a big ol' chocolate cake so there's no hard feelings.

Now, I just made myself hungry for chocolate cake and fruit tart...

Some [Friday] Sweetness

Ah, cupcakes! I could have had this entire box... Ok, maybe my eyes are bigger than my stomach, but the bottom line is that I LOVE me some cupcakes!

Are you a cupcake lover?

Mmm Mmm Good: More [Healthy] Food That's Delicious

First and foremost, I would like to send out a HUGE THANK YOU to the fabulous reader who recommended skinnytaste.com! After her suggestion, I raided the entire site, since the very first recipe I saw left me salivating and wanting more. And the best part is that all the recipes are low fat, which I guess can't hurt, right? In my last post, I stated that I was looking to find healthier alternatives to my beloved take-out menus (when the people at the Chinese food restaurant can finish your sentences, I think it may be time to step away), and add to my growing list of healthy meals for the week. And also, I really just need to cook more for myself. There's nothing like knowing exactly what goes into your food.

I made the Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken with Red Beans and Rice, and oh my was it good! It was  pretty lengthy to make, but it was worth every minute. Chicken, rice and beans has to be one of my favorite ensembles, so this transported me directly to heaven. Munchies after? I think not. Seriously, sometimes I think I have a hole in my stomach :-), but this satisfied my every need in life.

Already thinking about what to make tomorrow...

What are your go-to places to find healthy and delicious recipes? Please share!!!!

Mmm Mmm Good: [Healthy] Food that's Delicious

So, like, I am trying to turn a new page and include more vegetables and stuff in my diet. And to be honest, most of the time I hate it. Every time I go for the healthier option, I still feel hungry afterwards, and I HATE  feeling hungry. The evil person comes out, and it's usually my poor boyfriend who has to deal with the wrath. But, I'm trying real hard to stay on this path just because I know it's the best thing for my body health-wise.

I would like to build up an arsenal of healthy go-to options during the week that are easy to prepare and are packed with flavor. My boyfriend made this "Spicy Shrimp Salad with Mint" recipe from the NYTimes, and wow, was it good! Definitely will be bookmarked in our healthy repertoire. I think next time we might scale back on the cayenne, since at every bite we were crying, but hey, it cleared my sinuses, and sometimes good food hurts. If you guys are in a pinch trying to find something healthy and good to make, try this recipe out, and treat your taste buds.

Click here to get the recipe, or check out the recipe below:

Spicy Shrimp Salad With Mint
 Yield 4 servings
 Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 2/3 pounds shrimp in the 15-to-30-a-pound range, peeled (deveined, if you like)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon paprika*
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic, or more to taste
• 6 cups arugula or other tender greens
• 1 cup mint leaves
• 2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice.

Method

• 1. Place a large ovenproof skillet or thick-bottomed roasting pan on the stove over high heat. Put the shrimp in a medium bowl, drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the cayenne, paprika, and garlic, and stir to combine.
• 2. When skillet smokes, add the shrimp mixture. Shake the pan once or twice to distribute them evenly, brown well, then turn once. The shrimp are done when opaque and firm, about 2 minutes.
• 3. Toss together the arugula and mint in a large bowl. Add the shrimp with its pan juices and the lemon juice. Toss to combine; the hot shrimp should wilt the greens slightly. Serve immediately.

Source: The New York Times

* We didn't have paprika, so we just used an extra teaspoon of cayenne, and a half teaspoon of red pepper flakes. We don't play with the spice.

Enjoy!