Kara Lydon | The Foodie Dietitian Blog

Pomodoro, Brookline

December 11th, 2011 | Posted in restaurant reviews | No comments yet

After a week of traveling, I came home craving a wholesome dinner to be shared with Steve. When Steve mentioned Pomodoro in Brookline Village, although I wasn’t necessarily in the mood for Italian, I knew the food would be fresh and delicious. The opposite of what you get on the road. I’d been to Pomodoro in the North End a handful of times. I couldn’t get enough of the super small restaurant with no bathroom, 3 beverage choices, and a basket full of money to replace the cash register. Despite all these characteristics, the food was authentic and fresh. Did I mention delicious?The Brookline location didn’t disappoint. Still small and intimate, but slightly bigger than its North End counterpart. The lighting was dim and the temperature was toasty, perfect for a chilly night.

I started with a glass of Italian red wine which was comparable to a Pinot. Steve had…

Healthy Habits Kitchen

November 28th, 2011 | Posted in healthy eating, Travels | 4 comments

Last week I had the pleasure of visiting Healthy Habits Kitchen (HHK) located in Wellesley, MA. I met with Sue, the owner, who talked to me about the inspiration behind HHK and its operations. A meal preparation and delivery service, HHK is all about making healthy food convenient. Sue and I discussed how one of the biggest barriers for people to eat healthy is time and lack of planning ahead. HHK is about filling that gap by packaging nutritious food that is already prepared and ready to cook. The dietitian on staff ensures that all meals contain no more than 400 calories per serving, less than 30% fat and a maximum of 800mg of sodium.

When in season, Sue buys her produce from the Farmers Markets while she is there selling her meals. She uses antibiotic and growth-hormone free chicken, wild-caught seafood and limits use of preservatives, artificial flavors,…

Apple Cinnamon Quinoa Muffins

November 21st, 2011 | Posted in healthy eating, Recipe ReDux | 3 comments

This month’s theme for the Recipe Redux is A Whole New Grain. I currently am singing the theme to the tune of Aladdin, not gonna lie.

The purpose of the theme this month was to encourage people to be adventurous with using whole grains in cooking, and to try something other than the usual whole wheat or oatmeal. I initially was thinking I would try a second attempt at making wheat berries (the 1st attempt ended horribly). But then I got to thinking about the bag of quinoa that was sitting in my cupboard. Usually, I will use quinoa to make a salad or use it as a side dish. For the Recipe Redux, I wanted to shake it up a little and try using quinoa in a dessert or baked good. This month I made apple cinnamon quinoa muffins to keep with the fall season.

Quinoa (pronounce keen-wah)…

Butternut Squash Risotto

November 19th, 2011 | Posted in healthy eating | 6 comments

I’m just going to come right out and say it. I’ve never made risotto before. Well not up until about two weeks ago. It’s a dish I always wanted to make but never put the time and effort into figuring out the risotto magic. I learned there’s not much to figure out. It’s an easy dish to make but it does require a whole lotta TLC. Meaning, you really can’t leave it to stand on its own. My motto for risotto, inspired by Little Nemo, is just keep stirring, just keep stirring, just keep stirring. The thing I love about risotto is you can be creative and really add just about anything to it. You could even make a dessert risotto if your sweet tooth desired.

You might be noticing a trend with my cooking this Fall that all my recipes either include apples, butternut squash, or pumpkin,…

Apple Pie Oatmeal

November 8th, 2011 | Posted in Breakfast, healthy eating, Recipes | 4 comments

A couple weeks ago I started to feel it. The desire, the longing. It came on so strong I knew I had to act upon it instantly. This desire was none other than the desire to have a warm bowl of oatmeal on a crisp Fall morning. Yes, I had the realization that the windows could no longer be cracked at night and breakfast smoothies were a thing of the past. I embraced the cold morning and desire for oatmeal with open arms and opens spoons.

I use quick cooking steel cut oats and cook on the stovetop with coconut milk. I’m slightly lactose intolerant so if I have milk in large quantities, I am not a happy camper. I loved using coconut milk in my smoothies this summer and am happy to have it again in my oatmeal.

I love oatmeal on cold mornings but I can’t eat…

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

November 3rd, 2011 | Posted in healthy eating | 2 comments

My mother just called me out on the phone today for eating pumpkin 24-7. What can I say Mom?! I can’t get enough of pumpkin in the Fall and I really appreciate eating seasonally. Speaking of eating seasonally, and to get off the pumpkin train for a day, I made a delicious fall soup that I would trade pumpkin in for any (well, most) days.I found the recipe for Butternut Squash and Apple Soup on the Food Network and it comes from the amazing Ina Garten. You can find the recipe here.This soup is loaded with seasonal fruit and vegetables. That means it’s packed with fiber and other vitamins and minerals such as vitamin A, C, potassium, and magnesium.

Even though this recipe takes a little time to make, it is well worth the wait. It makes 3 1/2 qts of soup so you will have soup for days and days….

Harvest on the Harbor, Portland

October 26th, 2011 | Posted in Travels | No comments yet

Last weekend, Steve, Topher, and I drove up to Portland, Maine for Harvest on the Harbor. I gotta give all the credit to Steve on this venture. He came across it when looking up ideas for my birthday. Great call, Steve!

This was not my first time to Portland. I was there back in January when the weather was a tad bit colder. Check out the recap here.

Harvest on the Harbor is Maine’s premier food and wine experience. This year marked the fourth annual event where Maine’s top chefs, breweries, and wineries come together to celebrate the harvest season and share their local culinary creations and products.

Before arriving to Portland, I may have let Topher talk me into a trip to the outlet mall on our way there. Lesson learned. The temptation to shop at the outlets is much too high to fight any…