Managing Flavor Addictions

A sophisticated palette is a gift from the Lord. I was blessed with this bounty and I’m truly grateful for it. Having said that… eating and managing my waist line is a challenging task. For those of you who share my passion for food and flavor, I have some suggestions that will allow you to look fabulous while enjoying the spoils of feasting.

1. You must go to Lucille Roberts or a comparable gym. I find Lucille’s to be perfect – health and fitness made easy! Its an affordable, “get in get out” kinda gym. Your commitment to Lucille’s should be 4 days a week if you eat more than 25 oz  of cheese per 7 days (that’s about my intake).

2. Semolina bread… We all love it, I know but its essential to limit yourself to 1 loaf a week. My day is Sunday. I enjoy eating it all at once with a little extra virgin olive oil and some cheese. Side note: Statistics have shown that Mediterranean populations such as Spain, Italy & Greece, have significantly lower rates of coronary heart disease (CHD) as a result of their diet –  specifically olive oil consumption.

Keep in mind… Semolina Bread: 130 Calories (from Fat) per  2 oz, eek!

3. Veggies Rock! There’s  hundreds of  healthy low-cal vegetable dishes that taste delightful. My favorites include: tomato mozzarella, asparagus with garlic and lemon, sautéed broccoli rabe and of course a nice veggie antipasto platter. Try making them and you’ll be hooked. Below is my recipe for asparagus with garlic and lemon:

Step 1. Heat oven to 400 degrees
Step 2. Wash asparagus in water (one large bundle) and snap off ends that are white in color. They  naturally break where the white part begins.
Step 3. Place the asparagus on a flat baking tray and drizzle extra virgin olive oil on the veggies
Step 4. Mince up 4 cloves of garlic and sprinkle on top
Step 5. Dust freshly ground pepper over everything
Step 6. Place in the oven for 8 minutes, Then take out the tray and  rotate/flip asparagus. Put the tray back in the oven for another 8 minutes. Don’t over cook!
Step 7. Cut fresh lemon and squeeze a bit on top.

That’s it! Yumm…..