Recipe Redux: Asparagus Sandwich Vienna Style

The theme for this month's Recipe Redux is "most memorable vacation meal". We were to take an unforgettable meal that we had on a vacation or trip somewhere and re-create it, but with an added healthy twist.

I recently was able to go back to Vienna. The night before we left to return back home, I had my favorite dinner from that entire trip. I was in heaven with a sandwich that looked incomplete to me. It only had one slice of bread, but I realized I didn't miss the other slice. The flavor of the "salad" on top of the sandwich intertwined with the delicious, mouthwatering taste of the grilled white asparagus wrapped with an omelet on top of a tasty slice of bread. I could not stop commenting on how scrumptious it was while eating...neither could be my friend who had the same thing. Unfortunately, I did not write down the name of this wonderful entree, BUT...I did take a picture of the meal I had. Now, I also had a side salad and topped the meal with...oh yes...sacher torte!  Can't leave Vienna without having that amazing dessert.  However, for now, I will focus on the asparagus sandwich I absolutely delighted my taste buds in.

This is the actual sandwich I had in Vienna with white asparagus.

The changes I made were in the eggs and bread.  I used an egg substitute, which allowed for decreasing the saturated fat content, to make the omelet. Then I made sure the ingredient list of the bread I bought started off with 100% whole wheat flour to bump up the fiber content.

Ingredients:

4 spears of regular size asparagus or about 8-10 spears of small asparagus
1/2 cup of egg substitute
1 Tbsp chopped white onions
2 cloves of chopped garlic
1/4 cup of spring mix lettuce leaves
3 tsp of Annie's Roasted Garlic dressing (or dressing of your choice)
Just enough olive oil to drizzle on asparagus
1/2 Tbsp of Canola Oil
Pinch of salt and black pepper
Green onions and cherry tomatoes for garnish

Directions:
Grill the asparagus for a few minutes.  (I used my panini maker and grilled it on there.  I laid down the asparagus in a row, drizzled olived oil on top of the asparagus and put a slight pinch of salt and black on top).

On a frying pan or skillet, pour the canola oil and pour the egg substitute. Sprinkle the white onions and garlic on top of the egg substitute.  Add a pinch of salt and black pepper. Cook egg on one side for a few minutes.  Flip over and cook other side for a few minutes.

In a small bowl, place spring lettuce in a bowl and saturate with dressing.

Bread may be toasted ahead of time if desired.  However, place bread on plate. Then place omelet on top of bread and insert asparagus inside and fold over omelet.  On top of omelet, place lettuce. Garnish plate with green onions and cherry tomatoes.

I couldn't find white asparagus, but this certainly did the job for me!

Hope you enjoy this dish! Please take a look at the other wonderful recipes by fellow Recipe Reduxers.

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If you have ever been to Vienna, what was your favorite food item over there?

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Beautiful Ketchum & Mountain Biking

Last week-end, Tom and I went to Idaho to visit his family. We went up to Ketchum where Sun Valley Ski Resort is located. The scenery there was absolutely breathtaking with perfect weather during this time of year. Since Tom's 75-year-old father was with us and since we didn't think he was an avid cycler, we rented a hybrid bike for him, while the two of us rented mountain bikes. Our initial plan was just to toodle around town...no major plans for any major biking. While "toodling", one path led to another ending up at the actual ski resort. We couldn't help ourselves and thought...why not?  We're here...we must as well get on the ski lift and enjoy the ride. Needless to say, Tom's father promised to never ride with us again...especially after falling off his hybrid bike twice and never ever mountain biking in his life. Yes, we found that part out after our "adventure".:-D

We chose to ride on the Warm Springs trail. Although the majority of this trail was downhill, there was still some uphill climbing, which really wasn't bad at all (which I love!). There were some switchbacks to deal with, but again...not bad. The trail was rocky, so I had wished I had my own bike since I have dual suspension. The surrounding was definitely beautiful all around which lasted for about 12 miles...that is...twelve mountain biking miles. There were many other trails to choose from there. 

Beautiful Sun Valley Ski Resort in Ketchum, Idaho

I tried for the first time a 29er.

Getting off the lift and ready to ride!

Unfortunately, since we did not plan to do a mountain biking ride...and because we weren't told how long the trail is, we didn't bring enough water, so that part was a little scary. I always bring food with me, so that wasn't a problem. The Trader Joe's pre-portioned trail mix is great to take along anytime and anywhere.  However, not having enough water can definitely make any ride miserable, but thank God we were okay and our ride still memorable and fun!

The town of Ketchum also has many wonderful restaurants with outdoor patios.  I absolutely loved sitting outside having our meals and looking around at the gorgeous mountainous, green surroundings. Ketchum is like Amerca's best kept little secret.  If you love to mountain bike, Sun Valley is a must to enjoy this wonderful sport at.

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Where is your favorite place to mountain bike?

Keeping it Simple: Carbohydrates

There was a commercial that was playing in the background as I was rushing to go somewhere...I can't remember where. Anyway, I can't remember the exact wording, but it went something like this "It's always changing...carbohydrates are good..carbohydrates are bad". This commercial really got under my skin.  It's commercials like these from the media that ruins nutrition information.  On the other hand, it is true that with other aspects of nutrition (not all), and with ongoing research, other nutritional "news" may change. However, when it comes to carbohydrates, media has continually given this important macronutrient (a major nutrient that is essential to our existence) misrepresentation. Carbohydrates has been proven for years that we need it for our bodies to function properly. That will not change.

It makes me cringe (although I keep my mouth shut) whenever I get together with our women's Bible Study group, and they're proud to announce that the bread they're using for our sandwiches is "low-carb". That's nothing to be proud about!! 

So, let's just keep this simple. The number one fuel  source our body depends on is carbohydrate. The desirable carbohydrates our bodies should have more often are fruits, vegetables, whole grain breads, whole grain pastas, whole grain rice, and potatoes. These food items give our bodies various vitamins, various polyphenols, and fiber. Intake of these foods results in a healthy body. The less desirable carbohydrates are desserts (like cakes, cookies, pies, ice cream), white bread, white pasta, white rice, and sugar-filled drinks such as sodas. These food items certainly gives us calories, but they do not always necessarily give us the nutrients we get from the other food items previously listed, especially fiber!  If you're going to take in calories, you want calories that will give you good bang for your buck...meaning that the calories you take in are calories that come with nourishment. Calories devoid of nutrients is not worth taking in. Continually taking in calories that do not have adequate nutrients can lead to a nutrient deficiency, which you do not want to experience. On the other hand, if you also cut back on your calories too much on a daily basis to lose weight, well then...be ready to enter the malnutrition zone and feel horrible. But hey, if that's where you want to be, then that's your prerogative.

Anyway, please don't be swayed by the negative reporting of media. We NEED carbohydrates, just like we need protein and fat in order to be healthy; however, we do NOT need any of these macronutrients in excess. Excess intake of any of these macronutrients (and not exercising regularly) can lead to unused calories at the end of the day resulting in a caloric pile-up. Since this pile-up of calories has no where to go and are not being used, then they happily and gladly to turn into fat and extra weight. Really, it's just as simple as that. So, proceed with mindful moderation. Happy eating to all of us!
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My favorite undesirable carbohydrate is ice cream...which I have once in a while!:)  What's yours?

My Favorite Dessert During My Trip to Romania

Now I don't want to offend anyone in any way and I certainly do not like to delve into any negative political or territorial turf. So, please just know that I am only writing about my favorite dessert that I had in Romania and that's it. Nothing else. You know I love food and good, delicious tasting food, so that's absolutely it!

On this trip, I made sure that I wouldn't over-do it on eating sweets.  I generally don't have much added sweets, but when I travel I tend to want to try every dessert offered to me, because I want to experience that particular country's cuisine. On my last trip to Slovakia and Austria last May, I didn't keep track of how much dessert I was eating and I paid for it when I returned.  I got sick.  So, this time, although not saying no to any dessert, I just made sure I had a couple bites of each dessert that I had there and totally savored and enjoyed the moment. I am happy to say that this worked!

The noodle dessert is on the left. Yummeeeeee!

So on to my favorite dessert that I loved over there in Romania! Never in my life have I had the opportunity to have a dessert that has pasta or noodles in it! Never! Ever! So, the concept was very strange and intriguing to me. I was looking forward to it and I was ready. I was very thankful that our Romanian colleagues decided to take us to a wonderful restaurant during the last couple nights of our stay. We were taken to a Hungarian restaurant.  Oh yes! The food was also very delicious here...trust me...it was...even though I cannot remember what I had (I ate so many different dishes during my stay over there that it's hard to keep track). Then the choices of desserts came.  We had three different kinds that arrived to our table on a plate. The other two were good, but the one that caught my taste buds was the dessert with noodles in it. Oh it was so strange at first, but I loved it!! It definitely works. I also liked the fact that it was not too sweet. The sweetness was just right. Traveling is definitely fun when you go to places with desserts you don't normally have in your home country!

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Which Hungarian dessert have you had and did you like it?

My Discovery in Romania

Last week, I returned from an absolutely memorable and unforgettable trip to Romania. Romania is a beautiful European country. Therefore, I have had no energy to write or blog since I returned due to always having such a difficult time with jet lag. However, it was well worth the time and effort visiting the country in order to participate in the inaugural conference meetings of the Romanian Nutrition and Dietetics Association. That truly was an honor and privilege to take part in history. I am excited for all of the new Romanian dietitians who will be able to continue helping and guiding people to better health in their country.


One of the joys of traveling to a different country is to take part in their culture...and food!!!:) Soups are a very important part of Romanian meals. These soups are very healthy due to its richness in various vegetables. The dietetic students and dietitians have also told me that Romanian soups are not made with a lot of salt. That is truly amazing to me, because their soups are very flavorful. I was wondering what flavor I was enjoying eating a particular soup one day. I was told that the herb lovage is one of the herbs used in Romanian cuisines. There are medicinal benefits to this herb, but that is not what I am going to focus on here. I just want to focus on the fact that this herb definitely brings a wonderful and pleasantly unique flavoring to soups! 

One of the students in Romania actually gave me some lovage leaves and seeds to take home with me back here to the U.S.  However, when I got to the agriculture inspection in Portland, they told me they had to take the seeds away from me, but that I was allowed to take the leaves with me all the way to California. Taking the leaves with me made me happy. Anyway, lovage seeds can be ordered online. I will be doing that. I am happy to have access to lovage seeds. In addition, I hope you will try the lovage herb one day in your cooking, so that you will be able enjoy the delightful flavor it delivers.


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Have you had the chance to visit any European countries this year? If so, which country was it and what food did you particularly enjoy from that country?

Recipe Redux: Filipino Rice Cakes

Happy first birthday to Recipe Redux!  What a great group to be a part of. Thank you to Serena, Deanna, and Regan for your wonderful leadership!

Filipino Rice Cakes (Puto)--they're really bite size, but look big here.

So, in celebration of Recipe Redux's first birthday, the theme of this month is "Small Bites to Celebrate a Big Event". Immediately I thought of all of the Filipino celebrations I have attended since birth and have always enjoyed the festive looking small rice cakes. Now before I go on, I must warn you. The real name of this Filipino dessert sounds like a Spanish not-so-nice-word, but please trust me, as I use it here I am not using it in the Spanish manner and Filipinos are not using the word to name this dessert something bad.;) Okay, so having said that, the name of this Filipino rice cake is puto.:) Alright, you can get it out of your system and laugh it all out!:-D

This Filipino rice cake is usually just white; however, I have seen it and eaten it in various colors. For Recipe Redux's celebration I have made them a few different colors. There are so many variations to this Filipino rice cake, especially when it comes to texture, but they all have the same, or similar wonderful flavor.

Since I didn't want to re-invent the wheel, I took the puto recipe of EntrePinoys Atbp., and modified it. Their recipe is good, but I like desserts not too sweet, just slightly sweet. I reduced the sugar a bit and coconut milk. Then I increased the rice flour content since I wasn't getting the texture I personally was envisioning. If you look at other Filipino rice cake recipes, they mainly use rice flour, but some use other flours. To me, the best flour to use for puto is rice flour which you can buy at an Asian or Filipino market.

Ingredients:
2 1/3 cups of rice flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 3/4 cup coconut milk
3/4 cup sugar

Directions:
1.Mix well together the rice flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar together.
2.Add the coconut milk to the dry ingredients mixture
3.(Optional) I don't really use food flavoring on a regular basis, but for this festive look and if you would like, divide the puto mixture into equal parts into several small bowls depending on how many colors you want. Follow the instructions on the food coloring box to obtain the desired color you would like. 
4. Pour the mixture into muffin tins or pans. (I used small individual muffin tins, so they are bit size, but they don't look bite-size in the picture I took.)
5. Steam for at least 30 minutes or until a toothpick pulled out is clean.
6. Puto tastes best when served warm; however, wait to cool completely before placing in containers.

These Filipino rice cakes are very easy to make! Enjoy!!

Also, please take a look down below to see the other wonderful recipes my friends have developed this month.

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What is your favorite Filipino dessert?

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Power Yoga and Hydration

If you've gotten yourself immersed in absolutely enjoying hot yoga (like I have!), then please do make sure that you're hydrating yourself well during class. For those of us who live in places where it gets warm and hot during the summer, we have to take extra caution. Especially when we take yoga classes in the afternoon after school or work, those few steps in between from work/school building to our car to the yoga studio can dehydrate us more during those warm months de-energizing months. Please be conscious and don't arrive to your yoga class in the hydration negative zone. Hydrate well, especially with water, throughout the day before class. If need be, have a small snack an hour or so prior to arriving at the studio to give you the extra energy to get through that power yoga class.

Now here's the thing, a lot of the hot power yoga classes are over an hour long...sometimes an hour and a half long or an hour and forty-five minutes long. Let's face it...they are endurance activities that are intensified with strengthening poses. These classes are not just stretching, kick-back classes. They are intense! Even more so during the hot months and doing long hot yoga classes, it definitely would not hurt to have your beverage beside your yoga mat be a sports drink containing important electrolytes, and, of course, carbohydrates to replace what you've lost. You would definitely feel a whole lot better throughout the yoga practice and after the class. For a yoga class only for an hour, water is sufficient. After class continue to hydrate and make sure you also have an adequate post meal.  Sometimes it sure feels like my yoga clothing ends up being a couple pounds heavier after class. It's a sure sign to replace, replace, replace!


Enjoy the wonderful world of power yoga!


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What type of yoga do you enjoy doing?