Oh the Wedding Diet! Creating more energy for LIFE!

Lately, with so much on the mind... I've been posting a lot more on the go on my tumblr.com account.  Check it out sometime!!!

So, I know you've missed me here.  =)  Here are some images of what I've been eating the past few weeks:

CA Health + Longevity Institute Cooking Class- 4 soups!

Simple Home Cookin'- Grilled Salmon Salad w/ egg= Japanese B'fast for two!

Steamed talapia w/ sweet chili sauce + Steamed kale

Tamari based salmon teriyaki w/ steamed broccoli and quinoa

Can't forget dessert! @enjoycupcakes lemon gluten freeeee + a cutie!

Ok, so this bride has some tricks up her sleeve.  I downloaded the "My Fitness Pal" app on my iphone... and I am shooting to get healthy not just for the wedding, but for LIFE!  It's not about weight loss or anything like that for me.  It's for the reward of having more energy each day. 

Happy Spring!

Katz Gluten Free- Challah for some Holla! (Or Vice Versa)

While it's still Rosh Hashanah, I wanted to send a shout out and a HUGE thank you to Katz Gluten Free!  Check out that link for some DELICIOUS, Gluten Free Challah rolls. 

I had the fine fortune of sampling some amazing goodies from Katz Gluten Free recently.  My ABSOLUTE favorite type of bread growing up was Challah bread... specifically, the braided egg bread from Diamond Bakery in Newton, MA.  I was the only one in the house that craved challah, so I would have to be VERY convincing (and very good at home) in order to persuade my mom into driving me to Diamond Bakery to pick up a loaf.  Once we got there, I would peruse the bakery, scrutinizing every baked item on the shelf.  And once in a while, my mom would let me leave with a box full of goodies ranging from chocolate rugelech to black and white cookies to hamantascen along with the loaf of challah.

Photo Credit: Katzglutenfree.com

Gluten Free White Pizza- Perfect Weeknight dinner!

Last Tuesday... and actually probably for a month before that, I had the hankering for PIZZA.  It had been SO long since the last time I had pizza.  IN fact, my last ATTEMPT to have pizza was thwarted.  About a month ago, we went out with a group to try Pizza Fusion in Santa Monica for the first time.  I called on the way there to make sure they had gluten free crust that evening... and when we got there, they told me they had SOLD OUT!  WHAT?  Ok, anyway, I digress... Ever since that evening a month ago, I had been wanting pizza.

I came home and found that I still had a package of gluten free pizza dough mix by Gluten Free Pantry and a TON of veggies in the fridge, so it was the perfect weeknight to embark on a pizza making adventure.  The only thing missing that night was tomatoes and tomato sauce.  So, we had a DELICIOUS white pizza.  (But, you can always add a layer of sauce before the toppings to make a more conventional pizza.)

If you are feeling particularly industrious during the week, you can also make your own dough from the best recipe I've tried so far.  It's a recipe I adapted from Gluten Free Girl, which is FANTASTIC.  Even my boyfriend and all the gluten eaters I've eaten it with will agree whole heartedly.

Honey Ginger Salmon- Decadent and Comforting

For my dear Laurnow's (nickname of course) bridal shower, we put together a recipe book featuring our favorite dishes, many of which we have cooked together, or shared with her in the past.  Laurnow is a meat lover- a self described pork loving kind of girl... but she is also in love with a vegetarian (the horror!).

Luckily, her vegetarian is actually a pescetarian, so I included a couple of our favorite fish recipes, including this honey-ginger salmon I found on Epicurious a couple years ago, which has since become a standby favorite in my kitchen.  This salmon dish is sufficiently decadent and meaty to accommodate the meat lover in all of us.  I think my belly needs something comforting and warm like this, after green tea and gluten free toast the past couple days.

Honey-Ginger Salmon
Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons honey
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon chopped canned chipotle chilies
• 1 tablespoon golden brown sugar

• 4 8-ounce salmon steaks (I prefer salmon fillets)
• Vegetable oil

Preparation: 

Stir honey, cilantro, hoisin sauce, ginger, chilies and brown sugar in bowl to blend.

Preheat broiler. Brush salmon steaks with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Brush with some of honey-ginger glaze. Broil salmon until opaque in center, basting occasionally with remaining glaze, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer salmon to plates; serve. 

I like to serve this dish with miso soup and blanched spinach with ground sesame seeds, or a light salad (as shown in the second photo).  Top photo is a slightly different take- garnished with radish and enoki mushrooms.