Wingin' it

In our attempts to hit food nirvana, we make a huge effort to think before putting food in our mouths, wary as to how good or bad it is for us. But sometimes, we have cravings.

I love chicken wings. I'd be lying if I said I haven't been craving them for months.
But weighing in at 100 calories a wing, (and therefore making a 10 pack from Buffalo Bills 1000 calories before the fries and the blue cheese dip...), it is no longer a viable option.

But when I start to think about it... Am I really craving the wing? Or are am I really craving the sauce?

Here's a recipe to solve those cravings without the waistline woes:
Buffalo Chicken Salad
What you need:
*Your choice of Lettuce (I'd hit up romaine for this one)
*Shredded Carrots
*Celery, Julienned
*1/3 cup of crumbled blue cheese
*2 chicken breasts
*1 cup of BBQ sauce
*1 tbsp of Olive Oil
*Lime Juice (fresh preferably)

How to do it:
1) a couple hours before cooking, marinate the chicken breasts in 1/2 cup of BBQ sauce
2) assemble the veggies and cheese into a salad
3) grill chicken (preferably on the BBQ) for until the inside is white and the juices run clear
4) just about when the chicken is done, brush some more BBQ sauce onto the chicken.
5) dress your salad with the olive oil and lime juice (tip: for more of a kick add Tabasco to the dressing!)
6) slice the chicken and top your salad with it!

Enjoy in front of the big game, or any night of the week! You'll be glad you didn't rely of Buffalo Bill.

Tired of Salad? Me too.

Don't get me wrong, I love salad. It is maybe one of my all-time favorite foods. BUT.
Sometimes we get tired of eating like a rabbit, so replace it with...
Gazpacho!
A Spanish-Inspired soup, that you're supposed to eat cold!
AND, you can totally make it without spending hours dicing!
You can make it in MINUTES in a BLENDER!
And you'll probably use less oil than you would in a salad!

What you need:
*Tomato Juice, or V8 - about 2 cups (more or less to suit your desired consistency)
*Fresh Tomatoes - about a cup of grape tomatoes, or 2-3 large ones
*Celery - 1/2 cup
*Cucumber - 1/2 cup
*Bell Pepper - 1/2 cup (I usually use a contrasting color, to make it pretty)
*Red Onion - 3/4 cup (or to taste, and use any kind of onion, i just like red because it's not that sharp in comparison)
*Garlic - one or two cloves (up to you!)
*Salt and Pepper (a pinch? Remember, you can add more to your serving later)
*Olive Oil - one tbsp (for a whole batch of gazpacho, that's very little, and it helps to get your mixture soup smooth)

Optionals:
*Herbs (any really, and as much as you like! I even put in dill the other day, and it was amazing!)
*Avocado (for garnish, and some essential fats - if you're in the mood)
*Balsamic Vinegar or Glaze (also could be used for garnish)
*Hot Sauce (I like mine spicy!)
*Lime
*Crusty Bread

Directions:
1) Roughly chop your veggies (and herbs if you wish) and pop them in the blender
2) Add the tomato juice
3) Blend to desired consistency
4) Serve with any garnishes you desire (about 3/4 cup a serving!)

Yeah, it's that simple. Enjoy your salad substitute!