3 Snacks to Try! (vegetarian)

Hi all,

  It's been a while since I've shared my passion for food anywhere other then on my My Fitness Pal App (username @count_frogula) so after sharing some of my new food pics to make your mouth water on facebook, I think it would be only fitting that I share the recipes so you can enjoy them at home!  Here are some simple snacks that I love to eat throughout the day to keep me going.

1. Avocado Toast

• Half an avacado
• Mikes Killer Bread "Good Seed" (yellow packaging)
• Pompeian robust extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt
• Pepper

Toast the bread, slice the avacado and place on toast, sprinkle salt & pepper, give it a light drizzle of olive oil and enjoy.

 This simple recipe really tastes so delicious and I know you can go to a health food restaurant and pay $8-12 for two slices but it is so much more satisfying making this at home for much less.

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2. Carrots & Hummus

• Bag of carrots
• Sabra hummus
• Cayenne pepper
• Black pepper

  So this is sooooo simple, bring out the carrots, crack open the hummus, put on your dish or to-go container, sprinkle cayenne pepper and black pepper and dip the carrots to enjoy!

  I love this snack when I don't have time to make a production of a snack, it's great for grab and go meal prepping snack!

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3. Bruschetta Lettuce Wraps

• Romaine head of lettuce
• 1 or 2 beef steak tomatoes, or whichever ones are on sale
• Feta cheese
• Fresh basil
• Pompeian robust extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt
• Pepper

Wash and pull off two large romaine leaves set them on a plate.  Chop tomatoes in small cubes and mix in a bowl with chopped basil, salt, pepper and olive oil.  Place tomatoes mixture on romaine leaves and sprinkle feta cheese on top.  Fold leaves on the sides and eat like a taco.  

This is probably the freshest tasting snack in the bunch and very refreshing!  Perfect for a summer day or can be made in bulk as a party snack!

 I hope you enjoyed these mini recipes, please comment below and share your experience making these snacks!

xx Nina

Nina's Favorite, Veggie Chinese Salad!!

Hi Everyone,

  I hope the New Year is treating you well.  I know everyone is on their extreme diets trying to loose weight to only end up feeling like they can't enjoy their food.  This is one of my favorite salads, I remember my Aunt Jen Jen making this for us kids, and especially me, while she baby sat us kids.  Here is the recipe below for the Vegetarian Chinese Salad.

2 or More Heads of Romaine Lettuce

2 Cups Red Cabbage

2 Cups Snap Peas

1 Cup Cucumber

1 Cup Carrots

2 Table Spoons Sesame Seeds

2 Cups Mandarin Oranges

2 Table Spoons Almonds

2 Cups Crispy Noodles

2 Cups Asian Vinaigrette

Place all ingredients in a large mixing bowl, mix and serve.

If you enjoyed this simple recipe let me know what you think and what you'd like for me to share next in the comments below.

Viva Italia

Of course my first food post would be something Italian, even dishes I have never made before...  For my first food styling attempt I started to realize I was way over my head, but willingly accepted the challenge to create a seafood pasta dish and stuffed calamari.  Here is a food story in collaboration with my favorite food photographer Ryan Blanski.

Ingredients

1⁄2 cup plus 2 tbsp. olive oil, 1⁄4 tsp. dried oregano, 1 clove garlic, finely chopped, 1⁄4 white onion, 4 cleaned calamari, 1 cup bread crumbs, 1 cup finely grated pecorino, 3 tbsp. finely chopped parsley, 2 tbsp. finely chopped oregano, Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Tagliatelle, Garlic, Tomatoes, Lemon, Muscles, Clams, Shrimp, Onion, Salt, Pepper, Red Wine

Baguette, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Garlic, Tomatoes

Garlic, Tomatoes

Tagliatelle

Ugly Tomatoes, Garlic

Photography by Ryan Blanski at One Kreate Bentonville