Bon Appétit Bermuda

Let's start with the food from our tropical getaway to Bermuda! Here's some of the delicious meals my family and I had the pleasure of enjoying while on vaca: 

Grilled fig and whipped goat cheese salad with balsamic glaze

Grilled peach stuffed with crab

Appetizer: sushi grade ahi tuna with squash chips and a spicy aioli 

Fresh fish was the best part about the eats in Bermuda. This dish featured seared tuna with broccolini, carrots, and sweet potato risotto (to die for!!)

Baked scallops with spinach and side beet salad

Linguini con shrimp, mussels, and scallops

Beautiful fruit salad with homemade banana bread enjoyed on the beach :) 

Roasted beat salad with balsamic and candied peanuts

Fish tasting trio (from right to left)- grouper, plank salmon, and tuna *salmon was the best!

Now just for the other fun pics of beautiful Bermuda ...

View of the bay from our hotel room 

Love them <3

Happy birthday Mama!!

Perfectly clear blue water surrounding the island

Moped riding! 

Riding on a sail boat with Captain Caleb!

The Best Salmon Recipe You'll Ever Meet

OK so my friends and I usually get together at least a few times a week and cook dinner together. It used to be that we would only make one thing: quinoa with sautéed veggies and some sort of cheese mixed in there (there's always cheese). But this summer we have been really trying to expand our culinary horizons, and what a success it's been. We've made everything from quinoa stuffed peppers and white bean stuffed sweet potatoes, to cauliflower pizza, and mahi-mahi with pineapple salsa. Last night, we decided to try our luck with a new salmon recipe and let me tell you...it's my favorite thing we've ever made. 

I found the recipe for this salmon dish on pinterest, but we modified it a bit to what I had in my pantry. If you like salmon, try it out and you won't be sorry!! 

Honey Thyme Salmon Recipe: 

Ingredients-

1/4 cup honey

2 tsp garlic powder (or 3 garlic cloves)

1 tblsp olive oil

1 tblsp red wine vinegar (or white wine vinegar)

1 tblsp dried thyme

salt and pepper to taste 

3 salmon filets 

Instructions-

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees 
• In a small bowl, mix together ingredients  
• Place salmon filets in baking dish on top of a large piece of tinfoil 
• Pour marinade over the salmon and wrap tin foil around salmon (creating almost a chamber for it to cook in)
• Place in oven and bake for 25-30 minutes

OR 

• Place in oven and bake for 15 minutes
• Transfer to grill and cook for another 7-10 minutes 

We did the second cooking option and finished off the salmon on the grill. It gave a great finish to the fish, creating an almost caramelized seared top from that honey in the marinade. 

The finished product: 

We whipped up a quinoa+wild rice mix, and roasted asparagus and portobello mushrooms as our veggie. It was truly the meal from heaven.

And just because I'm eating lunch while writing this post...

here's today's lunch: 

 TJ's whole wheat wrap with sun-dried tomato pesto, hummus, spinach, and tuna. Fresh cut apple and strawberries on the side!

Yum!! 

If you're in the B'More area and didn't know... it's restaurant week!! So tonight I'm going out to dinner with friends to Sotto Sopra! They boast "contemporary italian cuisine" and their restaurant week menu looks to die for. No clue how I'm going to choose just three things to try...but a 3 course meal at a fancy restaurant for just $30?! I'll take it. 

More updates to come!! Ciao! 

☀ Summer Lovin' ☀

As always, first and foremost are the foodie updates! 

Dinner at Atwater's in Belvedere Square Market. They specialize in local foods so the menu is always changing. They also make the most amazing bread. I always pick up a loaf from them when I'm at Belvedere. 

I started with the crap and corn soup. It had a great tomato based broth with a kick to it. I loved every bite...especially those that involved dipping that hunk of sunflower seed bread into the bowl. 

For my main course I had this amazing salad with slivered almonds, goat cheese, and fresh blueberries. Perfect for a light summer salad.

We finished off the meal with a shared vegan brown and cup of café au lait ice cream. it was gone way too fast to get a picture.

After dinner it was time for a movie we've been dying to see...Begin Again. It was SOOO GOOOD. I highly recommend it, especially for anyone who is interested in the music industry. It was truly great. I laughed, I cried, and I went home and immediately bought the soundtrack. See it before it's out of theaters!!! 

Lunch event at work! They had great vegetarian options including an assortment of salads, wraps, and a baked tofu in a curry sauce. I opted for the veggie wrap, salad, and some fruit. Along with a chocolate chip cookie after because I couldn't resist :) 

I've been really into oatmeal again lately. I found this new kind that I like a lot that's made by the same company that makes my favorite granola. 

Purely Elizabeth 

I also added a little bit of flax seed and almond milk...along with a sliced banana and sprinkle of cinnamon on top!

Another lunch, but this one was at home after work. This reminds me so much of a little kid's lunch and I love it. I am such a sucker for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches but this one is a little bit healthier than the traditional ;) It's sunflower spelt bread (from Atwater's Bakery) with almond butter and blackberry jam from the FM. On the side was a cup of greek yogurt with berries and the TJ's honey whole wheat pretzel sticks that are so addicting it's not even funny. 

Girl's night out at the Owl Bar! 

Pink lemonade drank in a mason jar!

My pretties 

Many a'mason jar

Friend <3

Beach time in Sea Isle, NJ!! 

First night's dinner was right up my alley....baked salmon marinated in soy sauce, olive oil, lemon, and a little bit of brown sugar. On the side was brown rice, baked asparagus and carrots with FM guac.

There is something so right about a smoothie on the beach. There was a shop a short beach walk away that made fresh smoothies with REAL fruit..not that fake syrupy stuff. I got the pineapple one with pineapple, mango, banana, and oj. So refreshing!

What would a beach trip be without the fro-yo?! Honestly I could probably get froyo every night and not get tired of it...but it does give me a stomach ache so I actually can't get it every night no matter how badly I want to. Every once in a while is ok though! Here's what was in this heavenly mixture....

Froyo: georgia peach, creamy coconut, vanilla mint. Toppings: blackberries, mochi (who knew these were so good?!), and gummy bears!

*Fun fact: gummy bears are my favorite candy. I love putting them in the refrigerator so they get a little cold. Mmmmmm I could eat a whole bag in one sitting. 

The workouts have included runs on the boardwalk, hot yoga, and a few strength training sessions with Joey. Trying to mix things up and keep it interesting! 

For funzies: 

It's a Mo-ritto

Get it? Like a burrito....ok it's funny.

And Mo obviously was NOT thrilled.

I love this quote from the cleanprogram instagram page:

It rings so true. Whether you are continuing healthy eating habits or just getting started, this is a great quote to keep in mind. I always say that clean, smart eating is a lifestyle (NOT a diet), but this quote made me realize that it's also an art. It may not always turn out perfect or beautiful, but if it makes any part of you-mind, body, or soul-feel beautiful, then it's always worth it, and I love that. 

Have a good week!! I'm off to Bermuda on Wednesday, so more tropical updates to come later  :D