A wholesome, and oh so satisfying snack

Sometimes I think we forget about how simple eating healthy can be. It's amazing how much more satisfied I feel when I eat real food. One of my go to foods on vacation is peanut butter - it's packed full of protein and oh so versatile: PBJ sandwiches, PB on toast, PB with bananas, PB cookies...and my favorite peanut better and celery!

Peanut Butter (I LOVE the Better'n Peanut Butter All Natural)
Celery

Wash the celery and dab dry with paper towel
Fill the celery 'well' with peanut butter

Eat and Enjoy (and let your childhood memories of eating this as a kid come flooding back)!







Kari On and Keep Traveling

Sausage and Lentil Soup

One of the keys to cooking away from home is to keep it simple. No one wants to be slaving away in the kitchen, but everyone wants something tasty and satisfying. This amazingly simple meal takes very little time to prepare and it's absolutely delicious. Not only that, but the kids love it.

NOTE: When you are out and about during the day, make a stop at a local bakery and pick up a fresh loaf of bread to serve with this soup.

8 ounces hot or sweet turkey Italian sausage
1 pkg of prepared lentils (get these at Trader Joes - usually at the end of the refrigerated produce section)
2 cups fat-free, low sodium chicken broth
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano
1 small can V-8 juice (this is my secret ingredient...not so secret anymore:) )
1/2 cup uncooked small shell pasta (bring this from home, unless you plan on cooking the rest of the box for some other meal)
2 cups bagged baby spinach leaves
2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan or Romano cheese (optional)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (optional)

Heat a large saucepan over medium high heat. Remove casings from sausage. Add sausage to pan and cook about 5 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Drain, return to pan.

Add lentils, broth, tomatoes, V-8 juice, and pasta to pan and bring to a boil over high head. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until pasta is done. Remove from heat; stir in spinach until wilted. Sprinkle each serving with cheese and basil (optional).

*This recipe was adapted from a recipe I found years ago in CookingLight magazine.

Eat and Enjoy!

Kari On and Keep Traveling

(PS. This photo does NOT do this meal justice...I will have to work on getting a better picture.)

Sauteed Zucchini and Crookneck Squash

Steamed fresh veggies are delicious, but on vacation sauteed veggies feel like a splurge. With only a little EVOO and some salt-free spices, these babies are still great for you while packing a whole lot of flavor.

2 Zucchini
2 Crookneck (yellow squash)
EVOO
Mrs. Dash Table Blend (my personal favorite - bring this from home)
Trader Joes 21 Seasoning Salute (another personal favorite - bring this from home)

Slice squash in 1/4 inch (or slightly thinner) circles

Drizzle EVOO in saute pan over med-high heat.

Add sliced squash, sprinkle on the seasonings, and cook until soft and beginning to brown. Be patient and let them slightly caramelize - they are so delicious I start eating them out of the pan while they are cooking!

Eat and Enjoy.

Kari On and Keep Traveling

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Whoever said sweet potatoes were just for Thanksgiving is crazy. These delicious spuds are packed full of nutrients and oh-so tasty. Not only are they easy to cook, but the orange pop of color on the plate feels like a special treat.

2-4 sweet potatoes (also called yams)
Coconut Oil (bring from home - also delicious on toast!)
Cinnamon (bring from home)

Peel sweet potatoes and chop in 1 inch pieces.

Place sweet potatoes in microwavable bowl and add water to cover.

Cook uncovered in microwave until tender (depending on how much you in the bowl, this can take 10-20 minutes).

Use caution when removing the bowl from the microwave - it's going to be hot!

Drain sweet potatoes from the water.

Mash sweet potatoes with coconut oil (1 tsp per medium size sweet potato is a good ratio - but by all means modify for your taste buds).

Sprinkle cinnamon over the mashed sweet potatoes.

Eat and enjoy!

Kari On and Keep Travelling

Chicken Lettuce Boats

Bringing a few items from home keeps costs down on the road and makes putting meals together a snap. And if you pre-measure before you leave town, dinner is ready in minutes.

4 chicken breasts (more or less depending on how many people you are serving)
2 tsp curry powder (bring this from home so you don't need to buy a whole jar
1 tbl red curry paste (bring this from home too)
3 baby sweet peppers (yellow, red, and green - or any combination)
Cilantro
Romaine lettuce (for the boats)
EVOO (depending on where you are going and how much time you have, this can be a fun item to purchase locally on your trip)

Finely chop peppers and loosely chop cilantro.

Chop chicked in 1/4 inch cubes (or just buy ground chicken or turkey if you really want to speed things up). This step is really easy if the chicken is still lightly frozen.

Drizzle EVOO in a large skillet set to medium-high heat.

Add chopped (or ground) chicken and cook thoroughly.
Drain any excess fat or liquids.

Add curry powder and curry paste to chicken and mix completely.

Cook for additional 1-2 minutes to incorporate the flavors.

Spoon chicken mixture in to lettuce boats and top with chopped peppers and cilantro.

Eat and Enjoy.

Kari On and Keep Traveling

Clipped Wings

2012 was a great travel year for me. I hit the top tier of the frequent flyer program and 9 times out of 10 I was fortunate enough to fly first class and get some amazing room upgrades. Then wham – budget constraints hit hard and I found my wings (along with countless others) clipped.

I’ve made good use of the non-travel time and caught up on projects at home, increased my gym workouts, and spent some great quality time with the family.

Now’s the time to get back in the groove and feed my travel passion! One of my goals is to share options for cooking easy and healthy food on the road. I love eating out – but 3 meals plus snacks everyday can pack on the calories and make a hefty dent in the wallet.

All of years of travelling have taught me some amazing tricks for making meals on the go – the key is preplanning, knowing what to bring from home, knowing what to buy at the market, and most important keeping it easy.

I will start by posting single meal ideas and ultimately compile the recipes in to full week plans. This is going to be fun!

Stay tuned for the first recipe tomorrow: chicken lettuce wraps.

Kari On and Keep Traveling