Yogurt, The Power Snack

I've been on a yogurt kick since...well, since as far as I can remember.
Honestly, my love for yogurt is deeper than the ocean and goes back to when I was a toddler (according to my mum at least).
I can say, without equivocation that yogurt is my favorite snack.
I realize I said the same about other stuff already and that you probably think I'm exaggerating a tad and being melodramatic and that I need to dial-it-down and stop saying "This is the best thing in the world, I could live on this!".
But yogurt? With yogurt I think you and I are in the same boat (in a good way though).
Because yogurt is delicious, filling, packed with health benefits and has very few calories.
It can be used in a number of different ways: Smoothies, cakes, marinades, sauces, and when you freeze it...do we even need to discuss about frozen yogurt????
Since we (yes, you and I) love it so much, I've done some research and discovered some pretty interesting facts about it.
Now I love it even more than before, and I'm totally expecting you to do the same. Deal?

Creamy Mashed Cauliflower

This is a recipe I go back to again and again, and never get tired of.
I spotted it a couple of years ago when I first found Melissa’s blog “IBreatheImHungry” (through Sonia’s), and since then it one has been on high rotation at my place.
A tried and true recipe, I make so often.
Simple, nutritious, tasty and guarantees a happy and healthy feed. Definitely my kind of recipe.

The Little Beet's Charred Broccoli

A new eatery recently opened in the beating heart of Midtown NYC, it’s called The Little Beet and it focuses on gluten-free, non-GMO, fast-casual food. It has quickly become a favorite lunch spot for busy professionals, who want to eat healthy and nutritious food.
The fact that it’s located in Midtown, just a few blocks away from tourist-clogged Times Square - or as I like to call it 'Squareway to Hell' - should not hold you back from having lunch there (if you happen to be in NYC, of course!)
It’s a lovely little spot with an eco-friendly decor that includes detailed Compost-Recycling-trash bins and veggie-inspired artwork on the walls.

Easy Chili Con Carne Meatballs

If you would ask me how to describe these meatballs, I would definitely say that this is 100% dude food.

Dude food as in food that basically tastes as good as you want it, no matter what fat, cholesterol or caloric content.

food more macho [are we still allowed to use the word macho in 2014 btw?] than what your grandmother would have made — unless your grandma was a biker babe, then I’ll take it all back.

So yes, dude food, except that ’round here we never say “no matter what” when referred to the food we eat and - moreover - we do give a damn about carbs, calories, fats, etc.

Which means that this is dude food with a healthy twist.

In other words, food which is both “masculine” as well as health-ish. Comprende?

15-Minute Beef with Thai Peanut Sauce

Let’s say it’s 7pm and you suddenly realize you’re craving Chinese/Thai takeout.
Unfortunately, you’re in the middle of nowhere surrounded by heaps of snow, and the closest Chinese/Thai restaurant is a 15-mile drive away which includes crossing State line.
On top of that you’ve been skiing all day and you’re tired and sore, and the last thing you want to do is hop in the car and go get the food.
That was me a week ago; hankering for Chinese/Thai food but too lazy to actually get it.
Since suppressing my cravings was not an option (it never really is), I fired up the stove and did the best I could with what I had.
That’s how this awesome stir-fry beef with Thai peanut sauce came to life. *High-five*

Key West Spicy Chicken Quesadillas

And it’s a new year.
I hope that your 2014 has started off with a BANG.
Mine has been very chilled and full of ski, delicious food, good reads and no alarm clock. AWESOME. [Today I’m back to reality, but I’ll just pretend it’s still last week for a minute.]
You may not know this, but I really LOVE to ski.
It brings out my crazy, just as much as triathlon does.
I love it notwithstanding getting to and from the slopes can be a real pain.
When one considers digging out all of the clothes to stay warm, putting them on, hauling all of that awkward equipment around, paying $$ for a ski pass.
I still get the biggest rush when I fly down a slope, which negates all of that hassle.
The floating sensation of skiing through powder snow is one of the coolest feeling ever, if you haven’t try it yet I urge you to do it.
On top of that skiing is practiced in some of the most breathtaking places in the world. Few sports in the world have such beautiful environmental contexts (I mean, look at the shots I took for you guys the other day on the chair-lift, risking hypothermia...)

Peri Peri Chicken Kebabs

You say piri-piri, I say peri-peri, he says pili pili? Alright. Why does this hot sauce have such a spelling-identity-crisis?
Old-faithful Wikipedia has an answer: “Pili pili is the Swahili word for 'pepper pepper'. Other English language spellings may include pili pili in the Democratic Republic of the Congo or peri peri in Malawi, deriving from the various pronunciations of the word in parts of Bantu languages-speaking Africa. Piri piri is the spelling of the name as used in the Portuguese language.”
In other words, all spellings are correct. Makes sense.
But whichever way you spell it, this spicy, fiery, and lively hot sauce can be better described as *awesome*, *badass* or *da bomb*.
Around the world peri peri is best known as a chili based sauce used as a seasoning or marinade for meat, especially chicken.

Sweet Potato Gratin Dauphinois

My mum made a classic potato gratin dauphinois for Christmas Eve dinner. IT.WON.RAVES.I swear I saw guests on the brink of fighting each other over the last bit (I won’t point fingers nor name anyone in particular, I just want YOU to know that I saw what happened!)
That’s something I would have never expected.
I don’t mean to diminish my mom’s cooking, but a gratin dauphinois is a pretty simple dish — potatoes cooked/baked in a milk mixture and topped with some cheese. Easy.
Apparently, just a very few ingredients deliver an irresistible creamy potato side dish that almost caused a brawl between two gentlemen. Who knew?

Have Yourself An Awesome Merry Christmas + (Paleo) Meringues

And it is Christmas Eve.
Which has to be my favourite day of the year. All that has to be done, has been done and if it hasn't happened there is little you can do about it now.
There is family, there are friends, there is warmth, and if you’re lucky enough there might be also snow on the ground. There’s nothing quite like a White Christmas, isn't it?

A Simple Fennel, Orange and Pepper Salad

This salad was a big hit at Christmas’ brunch last Saturday.
Which is kind of ironic.
It was one of the simplest things I served, yet it was gone in a heartbeat; and everybody asked for the recipe.
Which got me thinking: is there really such a thing as a recipe for a salad?
Well if you consider super-fancy salads, then yes. But this...this is more of an idea.
Anyway, as all my guests enjoyed it so much, I decided to share this recipe/idea with you.