Before we left for Ireland we were told not to expect much from the food.  Afterall, Ireland is known for meat and potatoes - lots of filling meals (think shepard's pie, boxty, bangers and mash, etc).  We were pleasantly surprised that even the pubs had lighter options.  We had no trouble at all finding healthy, fresh food to eat.  It helped that we were traveling the coast of Ireland, which allowed us fresh seafood for the entire length of the trip.

One of our favorite towns was Kinsale.  In the south of Ireland, right on the water, we found some of the freshest seafood.  At Max's Wine Bar, my husband had a starter that included crab three ways.  One of them was ceviche and it was delicious.  I love ceviche, but have never made it at home.  I concluded after eating that dish that I would attempt it when I returned to the states, and I'm happy that I did!

I couldn't find crab on sale at my local grocer, so I opted for shrimp and scallops.  Ceviche is a dish that calls for raw fish that  you "cook" in citrus juice.  Most ceviche recipes call for lemons and limes, but I added some orange to this one too and it was yummy!

I started with the veggies.  The ceviche we had in Ireland had carrots, an ingredient I don't typically see in ceviche, but I liked the extra crunch it added.  I used 1 cucumber, 1 carrot, 1 jalepeno (remove the seeds), and half a red onion.  Chop all of these veggies on the smaller side - I used a knife, but if you're not great at chopping, you may want to use a food chopper or processor.  Just be sure that you don't puree it!

Next I boiled my shrimp - just for a couple minutes.  When they were cooled, I chopped them into bite sized pieces, as well as my scallops and added them to the veggie mix.

Next, I juiced my citrus.  I used 3 limes, 1 lemon and 1 orange.  If you don't think you have enough juice, use more lime or lemon.  I added salt and pepper and then placed in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

While that was "cooking" I used up the remainder of the pita I had from our lamb meatball dinner and made pita chips.  I cut the remaining 4 pitas into triangle pieces, unfolded them and placed them in an even layer on a baking sheet.  I brushed a little EVOO and sprinkled salt on them and then baked them at 350 degrees for about 5 minutes.  Watch them as they'll darken quickly.  As soon as they get brown and toasty, take them out and let them cool.

After a couple hours I removed the ceviche and let it sit at room temperature for about a  half hour.  Give it a taste and see if it needs more salt and pepper.  I drained out some of the liquid and added just a splash of EVOO to balance out the flavors.  You should taste the citrus, but not have it too overpowering.  I like to dish it up in a margarita glass, and garnish with a sprig of cilantro and a pita chip.  Serve with the pita chips and enjoy!

This was another example of a non-traditional dinner. I served this with fresh guacamole on the side.  It was light and refreshing....perfect for a hot summer night!

Do you like ceviche?  Have you ever made it?

XoXo,
Nicole

I'm going to take a break from recipes for this post because I think it's important every once and awhile to blog about topics that are important to me.  While working with clients, one of the biggest struggles people have is learning to listen to their bodies.  It is such a challenge because from a young age we're given mixed messages about understanding what our bodies are telling us.

Think about it, as a child if you fell off your bike and cut your knee how did you know you were hurt?  Maybe the cut was bleeding, maybe it throbbed or was sore to the touch.  Your body responded to something that happened to it, and our natural response was to react - cry, yell "ouch", etc.  We would have mom clean it, put a bandage on it and we'd be on our way.

Or what about when you are having a long day and your temples start to throb?  Your neck and shoulders are tense and your body responds by sending a headache to tell you to take a break. Ever have a big presentation or event coming up and you start to feel a flutter in your stomach?  You know that your body is telling you that you're anxious or nervous, and to take a deep breath.  Sometimes our sinuses get congested or a fever spikes and our body tells us that we're getting sick and need to slow down.  All of these signs prompt us to react accordingly.

Why is it then, when our stomachs tell us we've had enough to eat, we keep eating? 

When you were a child were you ever told to finish what was on your plate before you could have a popsicle?  Were you ever informed about starving children who aren't fortunate enough to have the food you were eating, and therefore, you should eat all of it in a futile attempt to bring balance back to the world? Were you ever forced to eat something even though you were gagging it down to begin with?

Don't get me wrong, I don't blame my mother (or her mother, or her mother's mother) for these things - but it sends the wrong message from early on.  Kids know when they are full.  They also know what they like and don't like. Why is it when a baby grimaces at a spoonful of green beans we declare they don't like them but when a 6 year old tells us with their words that they don't like the same food, we tell them they need to eat it or they are punished? I'm not saying that children can't be deceitful and play you like a fiddle to get at that cupcake, but most parents genuinely know the difference between deceit and dislike, and can respond accordingly.

As adults we at least have the freedom to pass on a dish that isn't appetizing to us; however, when we find something we really enjoy, we eat much more of it than we need - because, you know,  there are starving children somewhere and wasting it would be shameful.

I often find that clients tell me they feel bloated, heavy, full and uncomfortable after meals.  I usually respond by asking them what they ate, how long it took them to eat it and what it tasted like.  It's not surprising that I'm left with blank stares. 

The next time you have a meal, I want you to do a few things:
1.  Give thanks.  Taking a moment before you eat to acknowledge the plant or animal that you are about to consume, give thanks to God, or whatever you believe in for providing you the nourishment.  Remember that food is to be enjoyed, but it's also the fuel we need to survive.
2. Halve your normal portions.  Remember, you're not a starving child in a third world country - if the small amount you took wasn't enough, go back for more.  Just remember, a little really does go a long way.
3.  Chew.Your.Food.  Many people finish their meals in 7-10 minutes.  I understand sometimes you're in a rush, but that shouldn't be too often if you're properly managing your day.  Chewing your food allows you to not only taste what you're eating, but it helps your food to digest properly, leaving you less bloated after dinner.  Digestion begins in the mouth as our saliva helps to breakdown our food.  Additional breakdown occurs in the stomach and intestines.  The smaller the food particles, the easier it is to break down.  Smaller food particles occur from chewing each bite for a good solid minute (start with 20 seconds and work your way up). Taking time to chew allows your brain time to figure out it's full.  When your brain figures out it's full (and you actually stop eating) you end up less bloated and less gassy.  When digestion occurs properly you're left with a regular bowel movement (sorry, but it's true).  If you don't allow digestion to occur properly you're left with waste (poop) sitting in your body for way too long - which can become toxic.  Gross?  Yes - so chew your dang food!
4. Put your fork down.  I would challenge you to put whatever utensil you're eating with down after every second bite.  If you're dining with friends or family, use this time to have a meaningful conversation.  Meals are meant to be enjoyed, and people are meant to be enjoyed.  Use your meals as a time to not only taste good food, but celebrate the people you're sharing it with.  This will also help you to slow down and give your stomach time to send your brain a message.
5. Ask yourself if you're full, and if so, stop eating.  I don't care if you still have half of your dinner on your plate - if you're done, you're done.  If you're at a restaurant you can ask for a to-go container. If you're at home you can save it for another meal.  Either way, stop eating when you've had enough.  If you've followed the first four steps, you should be about 20 minutes or so into your meal when you begin feeling like you've had enough.  Keep in mind, this does not mean you've been shoveling food into your mouth for 20 solid minutes.  It means you've been at your plate for 20 minutes, alternating between chewing and resting. 

Even if you've followed these tips and still need some help with digestion there are a few things you can do.  Taking a short walk, laying on your left side and taking a probiotic regularly can help.  I truly think you'll be amazed at how little you end up eating when you begin to listen to your body.  Following these tips at home can help to set a wonderful example for your children as well.

Do you have any tips that you'd like to share with readers?  What have you learned from listening to your body?

XoXo,
Nicole

I probably should have started with this post, since it's really what helped get me back on track after we came back from a two week long trip that resulted in a number of pounds (that won't be disclosed) added to my body.  I typically allow myself to indulge a bit on vacation, but the typical vacation usually doesn't last 2 weeks.  I found that even though we were only eating 2 meals a day, Guinness adds quite a bit to the calorie count when you're drinking it for 16 days straight (yep, you read that right - no apologies either). 

Needless to say, when we got home I wanted to make something light and clean.  I opted for a fresh summer salad and whitefish.  Our grocer had some lovely wild caught seafood on sale, so I stocked up and added lots of fresh fruits and veggies.

This salad is one that could be eaten plain or as a part of a main dish like I made it.  It would also pair nicely with salmon or chicken.

For the tilapia, I just rubbed with a little EVOO, salt and pepper and baked at 350 for about 15 minutes.

The salad was a simple mix of romaine lettuce, fresh parsley and mint.  You could sub in any greens: spinach would be nice too!  I added sliced peaches, fresh blueberries and chopped almonds.  The dressing was 1/2 c EVOO, 2 T champagne vinegar (can add more or less depending on how tangy you like it), 1 T honey, salt and pepper. 

Assemble on a plate and enjoy!

Simple, satisfying and refreshing!

Enjoy!
XoXo,
Nicole

One of my absolute favorite meats is lamb.  It's not a dish I make often, mainly because I've only found one farmers market in town that carries lamb I like and it's a winter market.  I know there are farms around town that I could purchase lamb from, and my husband and I are considering now that we've come home from Ireland.  We ate a lot of lamb there:  lamb chops, lamb tenderloin, ground lamb - and it was all amazing.

While grocery shopping, since we had ZERO food in the house when I got home (note to self: have a pre-made dinner ready when returning from a long trip so you don't eat crap food), I saw ground lamb at my local organic grocer.  It showed that it was grass fed and hormone free, so I decided it was worth a shot.  It was quite delicious, although I know they don't carry it all the time - good thing I bought two packages of it(;

Our last dinner in Dublin was at a restaurant called "The Farm" - appropriate enough it's owned by a local Dublin family, who also happen to be farmers.  The food was spectacular!   The starter (aka appetizer) we had was the lamb meatballs, and they were heavenly.   Even though we had a smaller portion in Ireland, I decided that the pound of lamb I had would be enough for a lovely summer dinner on it's own.

I mentioned in one of my Facebook posts that I often don't make traditional dinners (i.e.: meat protein, starch and vegetable) in the summer...or ever, for that matter.  I find that I'm never as hungry as I think I am, and if you really listen to your body (tips coming in another post) you find that you don't need as much food to sustain you as you were maybe taught you did.

Anywho....the recipe is what you really came for, right? 

Lamb Meatballs with Tangy Yogurt Sauce
makes 15-20 meatballs

1 lb. ground lamb
1 T fresh oregano
1 clove garlic, minced
zest from one lemon
2 T plain, whole fat yogurt
1/4 c bread crumbs
salt & pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Put all ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix with your hands or a spoon.  Be careful not to overmix, as you don't want to toughen the meat.  The mixture should be sticky in your hands.  Roll the meat into 1 inch balls and place on cookie sheet.  Bake at 400 for about 17 minutes.  I flipped mine in the middle of cooking just to given them a nice even crust.  Remove from oven and let sit for at least 5 min.

While they are baking, I like to make my yogurt sauce and cut up raw veggies.

Yogurt Sauce:
1 cup plain, whole fat yogurt
juice from half a lemon (if you have a really juicy lemon, you may want to use less...you don't want it too acidic)
1 T fresh mint
salt and pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in a small dish and let sit so the flavors marry.

After the meatballs are out of the oven, place your pita on a cookie sheet (I like to use Ezekiel Whole Grain Pockets).  I cut mine in quarters, but you could half them or keep them whole if you wanted.  I only used about 3 pita pockets for the two of us.  After the meatballs are done, just pop these babies into the oven and let them warm - about 2 or 3 minutes.  Just watch that they don't get too crunchy - you want them on the softer side.

I like to serve these Greek-style with lettuce, tomato and red onion.  You could throw some feta and olives on the platter if you really wanted to, as well.  I cut up some carrots to serve this time.  Assemble all of the food on a platter and serve family style. 

If you have kids that like bread, meatballs and raw veggies - what a fun and non-traditional way to serve dinner!  They'll think something special is going on if you just set the platter down and let them dig in!  That's what we did.....who needs utensils, it's summertime!!

Slainte! (as the Irish would say, Cheers!)
XoXo,
Nicole

Our trip to Ireland was absolutely amazing!  The views, the people, the music and the food were more than we could have ever hoped for.  While we did indulge a bit in typical Irish fare (think fish 'n chips, cottage pie, etc) we also found some fantastic seafood.  Given that we traveled along the coast, there was always fresh seafood available. 

Unlike years ago, the Irish have really cleaned up their eating habits (Ireland was never known for it's cuisine!).  Almost every restaurant/pub we went to took great pride in the fact that they used locally sourced meats, veggies and seafood.  Often they would list where they got these items from in their menus.  While we couldn't guarantee that every cut of meat was grass fed or every vegetable grown without pesticides (although many of them indicated they were), the food was always fresh and clean tasting.

Since I'm still getting adjusted to being back home, recipes will follow.  Until then, enjoy some of the deliciousness we ate(;

Of course, no meal would be complete without a pint of Guinness.  We had plenty of that too!

I hope you enjoy these pictures....I'll be recreating some of my favorites for you on the blog in the upcoming weeks!

Enjoy!
XoXo,
Nicole