the whole plate.

Allow me to relay the last text message I received from my sister:

“I’m craving a huge plate of vegetables with hummus!  What have you done to me?”

Next thing I knew, she had served herself up the following:

shockingly, i was not involved in the preparation of this plate.

Looking at this photo, I can’t help but grin.

When I moved back in with my parents after Prague, I remember asking my mom if she had any yogurt in the house.  She quickly smiled and reached into the fridge, pulling out a Dannon Light ‘n Fit with the phrase, “I have this – it only has 60 calories!”

I could never stomach flavored yogurts, let alone whatever those little containers were [not yogurt, that much I know].  Soon after, I introduced my mom to the plain yogurt I had eaten in Europe.  I showed her how she could add some honey or jam to sweeten it, and eventually I got her hooked on Greek-style.  She buys nothing but these days, and she always comments on how satisfying it is.

My influence has also gotten a close friend hooked on banana oatmeal with almond butter and brought the wonder of coconut Larabars into the life of a stylist I once worked with on a catalogue shoot.

I even manage to influence myself.  My parents brought in a loaf of fresh challah this weekend, and I’ll never deny myself that doughy, egg-y, braided bread.  My teenage self would have slathered on butter and salt, but the good health grown-up went with  yogurt, maple syrup, and cinnamon [so good, by the way].

there are few bread products i love more than freshly baked challah.

I find it immensely gratifying when I can help other people realize that real, healthy food does, in fact, taste delicious.  Though most of my old friends find my habits strange, and even some of my extended family just can’t get on board with all the vegetables, the people I see most often have warmed up to my style.  Over time, I’m seeing them catch on, and it thrills me.

We need to eat all day long, every single day, so I figure it’s natural to observe and discuss the preferences of those around us.  If you see your roommate eat and enjoy Greek yogurt day after day, eventually you’re going to become curious about the reason she never tires of it.

That’s exactly how my sister became a Fage addict and how, for instance, my mom began to  incorporate whole grains and sweet potatoes into her dinners, rather than skipping out on the starches altogether.

My next task is to get my mom to switch to organic meat and dairy.  [What do you think, Mom?]  When that day comes, I’ll consider my work here done.

Have your friends and family caught on to any of your healthy habits?   Or vice versa: have you been influenced by any of theirs?

Don’t forget to comment for a chance to win a yoga mat!

Looking back at some of my more recent meals, I’m noticing quite a few things about my state of mind.

First, I am quite obviously over and done with winter, as I seem to have done away with stews, earthy flavors, and cruciferous vegetables.

Secondly, I am clearly obsessed with asparagus, which is no surprise: it’s finally coming into season, and it is one of my very favorite vegetables.  I anticipate eating it near daily until it’s time for zucchini, summer squash, and eggplant.

Thirdly, I seem to conjure up ideas for meals from practically every aspect of my life, regardless of its relation, or lack thereof, with food.  A smell on the sidewalk, a television show, the name of a new restaurant, an old memory – all have been recent sources of worthy inspiration.

pan-seared shrimp, brown rice pasta, cilantro pesto, sundried tomatoes, asparagus, wilted swiss chard underneath.

Sometimes, that mealtime inspiration comes from someone I know – perhaps a friend or fellow blogger.  [Sometimes both in one, as with the spring-like bowl above.]  After drooling over one of Sofia’s simple and fresh pasta dishes, I realized I had all the ingredients to create it in my own kitchen.  Of course, I doctored up the presentation a bit, but the pesto recipe and all the inspiration are Miss Crunchy Gal’s.

As an aside, I really like the taste of brown rice pasta over whole wheat, but I hate how sticky it gets.  My pasta of choice is still soba or udon.  [What's yours?]

enjoyed, as instructed, with a glass of malbec.

Sometimes, meal ideas are born out of necessity.  Earlier this week, I had some roasted beets sitting in my fridge and a craving for cashews, and so a simple dinner was born.

roasted beets with sweet cashew cream, steamed asparagus, and beet greens.  unpictured bowl of quinoa alongside.

Other times, the concepts are stolen from more accomplished chefs.  At brunch last Sunday, I had my heart set on ordering a dish that included zucchini corn cakes, and I was more than a bit disappointed to discover that the chefs weren’t able make the dish that day.

corn pancake served with [um, overdone] white beans, beet greens, asparagus, avocado, mango salsa.

I’ve had corn cakes in my head ever since, so I finally pulled together one of my own.  I especially love when inspiration results in a new recipe.

savory corn pancakes

• 1 T flax
• 3 T water
• 1/2 c frozen corn kernels, thawed
• 2 T scallions, chopped
• 2 T onion, chopped
• 1/4 c cornmeal
• 1 T evoo, plus more for pan-frying
• 1/8 t sea salt
• few pinches pepper

Whisk together flax and water and set aside to thicken.  In food processor, combine corn and scallions until paste forms.  Stir together corn mixture, onion, cornmeal, olive oil, salt, pepper, and flax-water mixture.  Mixture should be thick.

Heat oil in pan over medium heat.  Add about half the mixture to pan and flatten into pancake shape.  Cook 3-4 minutes per side.  Serve topped with salsa, avocado, Greek yogurt, poached eggs…to name a few ideas.

Where do you get the inspiration for your meals?

Whenever I’m in another person’s apartment [or house, condo, general abode], I am always a bit fascinated by the contents of their kitchen.  I remember finding a jar of Peter Pan peanut butter in a friend’s pantry and thinking, “Oh.  I forgot people still eat non-natural pb.”   Another friend’s roommate had recently made the commitment to lose weight; yet I was still surprised when I found practically every Weight Watcher’s product in existence, from yogurts to individually wrapped brownies, inside her refrigerator’s door.

You can learn so much about people by what they keep on their shelves.  Is she a snacker?  A diet fiend?  Does she order takeout every night?  Does she eat breakfast each morning?

I’m relatively sure that visitors to my kitchen would be quick to realize I am both a health nut and a foodie.  As my sister lives on a short list of essentials [pita, hummus, Fage, cereal, frozen blueberries] supplemented by whatever I cook or purchase, the refrigerator and cabinets are pretty much my domain.  Here’s a peek inside the fridge:

I like to call this the oatmeal shelf, where essentials like almond butter, flax, and soy milk sit together, ready for their daily usage.

Down at the bottom is where the magic happens:

I love the day after I’ve done a grocery haul, when the fridge is just overflowing with produce.

This is the alternative PB&J zone: tahini, peanut butter, homemade pistachio-cashew butter, maple butter, raspberry preserves, strawberry preserves.

Greek yogurts get their own space – mine is the 2%, my sister’s is the zero. [As a side note, I recently spotted Fage 5% for the first time and had to try it: it was un.be.lievable.]

Beverages live at the top:

Yup, all we have is wine and water.  Neither my sister nor myself have ever enjoyed soda, so aside from coffee and tea, it’s either hydrating H20 or a bottle of this goodness.  [And this is just what's in the fridge: there is another area where we store all the red, plus backup white].

Plus a Costco-sized container of hummus and loads of tupperware from all the good cooking.

Unpictured, there are also various condiments with which I occasionally cook: miso, Bragg’s, dijon mustard, sesame oil, barbecue sauce.  There is usually a carton of organic eggs, but we’re currently out.  [Our fridge is not missing bread, by the way: it's in the freezer.]

I think this is a good reflection of my love of the basics, the real, and the homemade.

What’s in your refrigerator?