Product Rave: PB2 Peanut Butter

I'm all for appropriate indulgences when it comes to food. In order to thoroughly enjoy myself on the weekends, at special occasions and when a craving strikes, however, I try to eat pretty healthy during the week. One of my major weaknesses though is peanut butter. It's ever-present in my house, staring at me from the pantry and, miraculously, it sounds delicious at just about anytime throughout the day.

Now, I understand that peanut butter has numerous health benefits is great protein-packed condiment. The calories and fat add up very quickly when you enjoy a few heaping tablespoons though. If you're a traditionalist, stick with the jar you know and love. But, if you're like me, and would like to be able to enjoy the salty-sweet stuff more often, allow me to introduce my new favorite healthy product! PB2 Powdered Peanut Butter. This stuff is all natural, no weird chemicals or anything, and all you have to do is mix the powder with a tiny bit of water until reaches the right consistency. It comes closer to real peanut butter's natural texture and flavor than any other substitute I've tried. The main reason I fell head over heels for PB2 is the fact that 2 Tablespoons comes to teeny tiny 45 calories (in comparison to 190 for the regular stuff).

Of course, when I really have a craving, I still do it up right with Jif. PB2 is just a fantastic way to enjoy peanut butter on my toast in the morning or on a banana or apply slices as a snack, without weighing me down calorically. Keep in mind, you can also add the powder to cooking recipes that call for peanut butter. I mix mine into oatmeal and different sauces and marinades. Combine some of the powder with chicken broth, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes for an extremely low-cal peanut sauce.

If you wish you could eat peanut butter more often than you currently do, try this stuff! You can order it online on Amazon or find it at a local health food store. Check out the PB2 website to see other recipe ideas or find a store near you.

Pinterest: My New Recipe Book

Have you discovered Pinterest yet? Recently, I found out it's not just for people interested in fashion and home decor... It's a food and recipe lover's dream.

For those of you don't know, Pinterest is a sort of digital bulletin board. You create pinboards for whatever topic you're interested in. Examples might include: "Recipes to Try," "DIY Ideas," or "Shoes I Need." Then whenever you're scanning the internet and stumble across an image you like, you "Pin It." It'll be saved on the site whenever you want to go back and reference it. Since, Pinterest is also a social network, you can follow your friends and family and easily share and swap recipes too. Believe me when I say scrolling through the food images others have pinned is an easy way to pass several hours. Drooling seems to be a common side effect.

Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars

My personal infatuation with the site stems from its extensive Food and Drink section. It's audience is so diverse that anyone who eats will find something that hooks them. Are you a mom looking for easy weeknight meals and one-pot wonders? An adventurous baker who will attempt a cupcake complete with a filling, ganache and edible decorations? Maybe you're looking for healthy recipes to jumpstart the new year or recipes for a gluten-free lifestyle. You'll find plenty of content in all of those categories.

In my case, I simply enjoy collecting interesting recipes for when a creative mood strikes. I can also happily pass hours looking at food whether I need a recipe or not. My pinboards have quickly replaced my old attempts at keeping a recipe book. I used to cut clippings from cooking magazine and print my favorites off the internet. Storing them was a mess and I rarely referenced the collection because I could more easily use my computer. Today, any recipe you find in print, you can find online on the magazine or newspaper website. All you need to do it Pin It! It will be saved on your board for easy access whenever you need it. Go find your favorite recipes and share them with the Pinterest world.

The other bonus is that each photo is directly linked to the blog or site it was taken from. This means, not only will you have access to further instructions and reviews when you click to the site, but you'll also been introduced to a blog you might not have found otherwise. In my experience, it's likely you'll spend another twenty minutes perusing the blogger's other recipes, pinning more images and bookmarking it for return visits.

I have my food pins organized on two pinboards right now, "Sweet" and "Savory." As my collection expands, I'll probably divide them further into traditional cookbook sections like "Appetizers" and "Entrees." That seems like the best way to stay organized since my collection is growing so quickly. If you want to follow my pins, just click the red Pinterest button to the right. I'm always looking for more food lovers to follow.

P.S. You need an invite to join the site now, but if you leave a comment with your email I'll be happy to invite you!

Happy Pinning!

Savory Pin Board

Girl and the Goat

Stephanie Izard, Top Chef Season 4's winner, opened Girl in the Goat in summer of 2010. Now, in January of 2012, Chicagoans are still swarming there, eager to eat their way through her unique and affordable menu.

Four of us ventured to the Randolph and Halsted restaurant last Thursday evening and we enjoyed every aspect of our experience. Aside from an inviting ambience, knowledgable servers and friedly staff, the food was adventurous, surprising and downright tasty.

As the plates are meant for sharing, we were able to try a lot of things on the menu. We started with the Bread with Beer Cheese Sauce. While we enjoyed it, the simple starter was quickly forgotten after the markedly more exciting dishes that followed.

Chickpea Fritters

The first dish to arrive was the Chickpea Fritters. Topped with an eggplant-tomatillo caponata, the melt-in-your mouth chickpea mixture was perfectly fried and served as a fantastic start to the meal. The garnishes made the flavors sing, but the chosen element on this plate was definitely the unique contrast of textures.

Next out of the kitchen were the Seared Sea Scallops with mushrooms and diced butternut squash. I love scallops and Stephanie's team executed them beautifully. They arrived perfectly seared and were served over a complex broth you wanted to lick from the bowl. Two more delicious veggie dishes followed. First came the green beans in a fish sauce vinaigrette. Finished with a drizzle of creamy sauce and chopped cashews, this was the dish I'm most eager to replicate at home. The beans had just the right amount of bite, the vinaigrette was salty with a fun Asian influence, and the cashews were a perfect, crunchy accompaniment.

Roasted Cauliflower

The most surprising dish of the night for me was the sliced, Roasted Cauliflower with pickled peppers, pine nuts and mint. From the menu description, I was hesitant about the unusual combination. While the first bite didn't quite sell me, the more I tried it, the more the flavors truly came together. I'm a firm believer in trusting the chef and that dish made me eager to try any other unusual combinations Stephanie Izard wanted to place before me.

Grilled Pork Ribs

While the Goat Empanadas were tasty, the the Grilled Pork Ribs and Roasted Pig Face were by far the more memorable of the meat dishes we tried. The ribs were topped with a grilled scallion vinaigrette and served with a tomatillo-mushroom slaw. Their great smoky flavor just added to fact that they were falling off the bone. Yelp reviews sold us on ordering the Pig Face and we were not disappointed. Served with crispy potato stix and a sunny side up egg, the plate was almost an ode to breakfast. The pig face was of course the star of the dish and we all immediately loved the deep flavor and tenderness of the meat.

Wood Roasted Pig Face

While incredibly full after our expansive tour of the menu, we couldn't leave without trying at least one of the desserts. We went with the Chocolate Cake, accompanied with chili-spiced gelato and peanut fluff, topped off with pomegranate seeds. Let's just say that our level of fullness didn't stop us from scraping the bowl clean. Another fun combination of spicy and sweet.

 

Chocolate Cake

It was a memorable meal and I would highly recommend Girl and the Goat to adventurous eaters. Stephanie Izard uses a deft hand in composing her ever changing menu and you are sure to be surprised many times throughout your meal. I will happily be at the mercy of any chef who can make me recall a 'simple' green bean dish more fondly than the delicious scallops. I'll definitely be back again.

If you're planning a trip there, and you should, be sure to call several weeks in advance for a reservation. Otherwise, be prepared to wait quite a while. Either way, your patience will be rewarded.