Passing Judgment - DC Chain I

There are a few chain restaurants in DC that I am absolutely in LOVE with.  The first of these is Chop't.  Originally established in New York City, there are now a few locations in DC. Chop't boasts organic veggies, naturally raised meats, and a broad selection of heirloom lettuces.  The owners and creators Colin and Tony state, "We made it our mission that only premium, ultra-fresh food would pass through our doors. Nothing processed. No trans fats. No pre-cut or pre-shredded anything. Just wholesome, delicious farm fresh food that would delight, inspire and nourish." Because of the quality ingredients the food at Chop't exceptionally delicious and healthy!

Chop't offers a number of their own salad creations, but of course you can build your own with topics such as: beets, tomatoes, cucumbers, snow peas, corn, potatoes, artichoke hearts, cheddar cheese, grilled asparagus, chick peas, tuna, tofu, ham, chicken, turkey, egg whites, and the list goes on.

Chop't also offers four categories of dressing - classic, bold, exotic, and spa (their low-cal option).  Within these groups there are 5 to 10 flavor options. The spa options are really good, while they may lack in calories there is no lacking in flavor.

My typical order is the Palm Beach Shrimp (picture above).  This salad includes shrimp, tomatoes, cucumber, hearts of palm, and avocado.  I usually order the Spa Tex Mex Ranch as my dressing, it's not the one they suggest, but it's too good for me to leave it off.  For this whole salad, which by the way is huge, it's only 320 calories and 12 grams of fat.*

Judged as a super healthy and delicious lunch option.


*7pts

Judging Park Slope, Brooklyn, NY

I recently went to visit my sister who resides in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn, NY.  She just moved to the area so this was my first opportunity to visit, and I had a great time!  

Park Slope is a neighborhood with tons of character and activities, especially for food enthusiasts. It's considered one of the nicest places to live in NY, located right next to Prospect Park the tree lined side walks, brown stones, and vibrant community make you feel like you are in a totally separate city.

Here are a few of the places I ate while visiting:

Lunch the first day I was there we went to a great little pub, The Double Windsor, to watch a soccer game.  The pub had wonderful fries and an exceptionally cheesy grilled cheese sandwich.  My sister ordered the fish tacos, which may not have been the best order for such as place and due to this the fish was dry.  A friend of ours ordered the veggie sandwich melt and reported that it was very good.  Judged as good bar food.

For a snack we went to an amazing pie shop, Four and Twenty Blackbirds. Once you enter your transported to a quaint shop in the Shenandoah Valley or your grandmother's kitchen. While the ambiance was a treat itself the pie was really the star.  The owners (two sisters!) of Four and Twenty Blackbirds state, "We source our ingredients locally and organically when possible and incorporate natural sweeteners such as honey, molasses and unrefined sugar in our recipes. Many of our products are made with whole grain flour and we buy our ingredients according to season."  My sister and I ordered the rhubarb crumble, which was out of this world.  The pie was homemade with excellent ingredients, which really came through in the flavor.  I would rank this right next to my grandmother's pie.  Judged as a place you have to visit on your next trip to NYC.

For Sunday brunch my sister and I ventured just up the block to Sotto Voce for their $12.95 brunch with unlimited mimosas.  I love mimosas and so was very excited by this deal.  I had the veggie frittata and my sister had the eggs benedict, her favorite breakfast item.  I thought the frittata was just ok, nothing special.  My sister likes their eggs benedict and has had them a few times, but admits that it's not the greatest eggs benedict she has ever had.  Mainly we went there for the price and the drinks.  Judged as a deal for yummy mimosas, but be sure to eat slowly so you can have more than one.  

After a few month of living in Park Slope my sister has reported to me that there are many wonderful restaurants including one owned by a former Top Chef contestant.  I'm excited to return and taste some more of the local fare.    


Please note, there was a lot of walking involved in this trip, which I have not reported.  ;)

Happy 4th Of July

While I believe that the 4th of July is more than just fireworks and eating, I still enjoy all of the eating :)

Here are some items I made this 4th:

Low Fat Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

    3/4  cup Smart Balance Light Butter
    1/4  cup shortening
    1  cup packed brown sugar
    1/2  cup granulated sugar (Splenda)
    3/4  teaspoon baking soda
    1/2  teaspoon salt
    2  eggs
    1  teaspoon vanilla
    2-1/2  cups all-purpose flour
    3  cups semisweet chocolate pieces

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl beat butter and shortening with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the brown sugar, granulated sugar (Splenda), baking soda, and salt. Beat until mixture is combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour. Stir in chocolate pieces.

2. Drop dough by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8 to 9 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. Makes about 60 cookies. *

Cookies judged as yummy and loved by my co-workers. These also freeze really well, so make a double batch and save them for that night that you just have to have CHOCOLATE!

*2 WW Pts

Blueberry Crisp


Ingredients
5 cups of fresh blueberries
4 tablespoons Splenda

1/2  cup rolled oats
1/2 cup packed brown sugar or brown sugar substitute equivalent
1/4 cup and 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/4  teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4  cup Smart Balance Light Butter
1/4  cup chopped pecans
Frozen light or fat free whipped dessert topping, thawed (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degree F. Wash and place blueberries in a 2 quart baking dish.

2. Sprinkle berries with 4 tablespoons of Splenda and 3 tablespoons of flour.

3. For topping, in a medium bowl, stir together oats, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Cut in the butter until mixture resembles course crumbs.  Stir in the nuts and sprinkle over the top of the fruit.

3. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 30-35 minutes or until fruit is tender and topping is golden.

4. Cool slightly. Serve warm. If desired, top with whipped topping or light ice cream. Serves 8.

This blueberry crisp was super easy to make and a big crowd pleaser.  My family loved the fresh berries and crispy top.  Judged as a great summertime dish. 

*4 WW Pts 
*6 WW Pts with .5 cup of light ice cream

Passing Judgment - Snack Time

Trader Joe's (judged as a great grocery store) has a product I absolutely love, "Fiberful" fruit bars.* The bars are made of dried fruit with added fiber, rolled thin and formed into delicious, chewy bars. Fiberfuls come in multiple flavors such as apricot, passion fruit, strawberry, and mixed berry. I love to have these as an afternoon snack to keep me full until dinner.


Recently, while buying multiple bars in every flavor, I discovered a new Fiberful flavor, veggie.  Trader Joe's says, "Our new Fruit & Veggie Fiberful Bar takes that new standard to a higher level by including veggies with the fruit. The result is a great-tasting blend of apple, pumpkin, beet, carrot, broccoli, tomato & celery, with enough added fiber to bring the total to six grams in every bar!" I thought this idea might be gross, but I decided to try it. The veggie bar was fantastic! I loved the flavor which was a little sweet and generally well rounded and given that it has 6 grams of fiber, I should be full for a while.  Judged as super healthy and yummy snack. Way to go Trader Joe's!


*0 pts.

Let's Move!

I am a firm believer that everyone should have healthy food accessible and available, especially children, which is why I am thrilled that Michelle Obama has taken on the issue with her Let's Move Campaign.  "Let’s Move will give parents the support they need, provide healthier food in schools, help our kids to be more physically active, and make healthy, affordable food available in every part of our country." This seems logical and something that we should have been doing all along, but haven't, finding it easier and less expensive to consume and provide processed foods.

One part of the campaign brings healthier food to schools while providing parents with recipes, tips, and resources for healthy cooking.  Earlier this month Obama brought hundreds of chefs to the White House to kick off the "Chefs Move to Schools" program which will bring chefs to their local schools in order to support healthier eating in their communities, "By creating healthy dishes that taste good, chefs have a unique ability to deliver these messages in a fun and appealing way to the larger audience, particularly children."  I judge this as a fantastic idea! As a teacher I spent many days in lunch duty observing the bought and brought lunches, realizing that the nutritional value was extremely poor if present at all. 

While I have high hopes for Let's Move, I think it is going to be a huge task with lots of red tape to get healthy food in school cafeterias (see the Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution) and affordable food to every part of the country, but if anyone can make it happen it's Michelle Obama.

Passing Judgment

Recently my friends and I went to Vapiano for dinner, "Somewhere between the nicest of fast casual and hippest of casual dining restaurants is VAPIANO. " Yes, this is the sentence they wrote, it doesn't seem to make sense and I am pretty sure they left out some words.  The main point of this sentence is that Vapiano is a really hip and fun way to get good food fast.

The decor was modern with potted herbs lining the walls and long tables surrounded by stools.  When you first arrive you receive a card and then go up to either the pizza, pasta, or salad stations to order. Upon finishing your order, you swipe your card and the dish is added.

My friends ordered the pizza and a salad while I ordered the wheat pasta with pesto sauce.  They said their pizza was good, though not exceptional.  The pasta was a little overcooked; however, the pesto sauce was great.  When I ordered the pesto sauce they put freshly pureed basil in a pan with freshly diced garlic, olive oil, and a few extra pine nuts.  Judged as okay food, with healthy options.

When we were done with our meal we went to the register, handed the hostess our cards, and paid for our individual meals on our cards.  My friends pointed out that because of the ordering and card system Vapiano is a great place to have dinner or lunch with a group -  people can order when they arrive and there is no check to divvy up at the end. Vapiano is also located near the Ballston Metro. Judged a  good place for groups with a hip atmosphere.

Recipe to Judge: Healthy Shrimp Po' Boys

This is one of the favorite recipes in my house.

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp light mayo
Old Bay seasoning
4 French rolls
cooking spray
garlic powder
1.25 lbs raw shrimp (peeled and deveined)
lettuce
tomato

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees
2. Cut open the rolls lengthwise, spray with cooking spray, and then shake on some garlic powder.  Toast rolls at 375 for about 5 minutes.
3. Combine mayo with Old Bay to taste
4. Sprinkle Old Bay on shrimp and set aside
5. Thinly slice the onion, spray cooking spray in a frying pan, and saute the onion until translucent
6. Add shrimp to pan with the onion and cook until done (pink on both sides)
7. Spread mayo on rolls, place shrimp, onion, lettuce, and tomato on top and then squirt some fresh lemon juice on top.

Judged as, no one will know that this sandwich is good for you.*

*about 6