Cupcake Week is off to a fantastic start! Yesterday, we kicked the week off with our Cooking Tip Mondays: The Cupcake Edition…today, it’s all about our top five picks for the best cupcakes in NYC! Now, of course, one might wonder…”Hey KP…if your company makes cupcakes…then why are you doing this list?”

It’s easy. K. Parris Catering has an expansive list of desserts and if you email us at webaketoo@kimberlyparris.com, we would be happy to provide cupcakes to you for your next event…

But…when we aren’t making cupcakes…this is where we like to go. So there. =o)

Without further ado…here we go!!

5. Sugar Café – A tiny café of big sweet nothings
200 Allen Street/212.260.1122

This writer loves Sugar! This writer loves Sugar! You’ve probably heard us talk about Sugar Cafe before. The corner café of ‘big sweet nothings’, located on the corner of Allen and 2nd Avenue, boasts making all of their tasty treats on site, nothing shipped to them here! Their cupcakes rotate according to the season: St. Patrick’s Day boasted yellow cake cupcakes with awesome green sprinkled butter cream and sugary 4 leaf clovers, Thanksgiving Day was all about turkey – caramel topped chocolate turkeys on caramel cupcakes, that is. Their medium to large sized cupcakes fulfill any cupcake lover’s appetite, and for $2.50 a cupcake, are nice to your budget as well.

4. Tonnie’s Minis – Harlem’s Favorite Cupcakes
264 Lenox Avenue/212.831.5292(3)

Tonnie Rozier is a man after this writer’s heart!! Getting his start in the non-profit world, Tonnie started his business supplying desserts to stores such as The Coffee Beanery and Barnes & Noble. He opened his first shop in the West Village in 2006. By this time, he was in high demand from local television stations to the famous P. Diddy. His newest shop in Harlem allows him to sell to an even larger clientele, as this writer got a chance to try his delectable cupcakes at Gracie Mansion, home of the Mayor of New York City! Tonnie’s “Cake Shot”, mini cupcakes in a variety of flavors, are hugely popular and deserve the title of 4th best cupcake in NYC.

3. Magnolia Bakery NYC – Multiple Locations

Ok, so who DOESN’T know of Magnolia Bakery? The landmark New York institution’s fluffy, delectable cupcakes have been making waves since 1996, and has recently expanded their brand to Los Angeles, California. How awesome. This writer’s favorite? A tie between the Lemon Meringue cupcake and the Pumpkin cupcake…both yummy bits of delectability. (I thought I made that word up but it turns out I didn’t! Yay!) Find them over on Bleecker Street…or maybe in Rockefeller Center…oh, just check out the website! =o)

2. How Sweet It Is NYC – Custom Pastries and Cakes
123 Allen Street/212.777.0408

Beth Pilar and Ellen Sternau started their cake studio in NYC after meeting and working together in San Francisco over 10 years ago. Chef Sternau, in particular, has a special place in this writer’s heart…she trained this writer to do pastries in culinary school. It should be no wonder that How Sweet It Is happens to be number 2 on the list of best cupcakes in the city. No bias, either. They’re just awesome cupcakes. The red velvet cupcakes? *shudders at the thought of their deliciousness* Though they are relocating their bakery shop, you can still order their delectable cupcakes and cakes at their studio on Allen Street. (Check out their spectacular cakes while you’re at it, too.)

Drum roll, please… (LOL)

1. sugar Sweet Sunshine Bakery
126 Rivington Street/212.995.1960

Whoo hoo!! The cast of cupcakes at sugar Sweet Sunshine Bakery is nothing short of awesome. (Ok. So many of the best cupcakes in the NYC are in the Lower East Side. *shrugs*) The cute and sweet bakery’s list of cupcakes, from their “Ooey Gooey” chocolate cupcake with chocolate almond frosting, to their “Sassy Red Velvet”cupcake, sugar Sweet Sunshine has something for everyone. And this writer. They are AWESOME. (Y’all ain’t hearing me. AWESOME.)

Think a cupcake spot of yours has what it takes to make this list? Email us!! Ex_foodie@kimberlyparris.com . We’ll keep this Cupcake Week movement going!! =o)

Tags: best, cupcakes, Ellen Sternau, Magnolia, Sugar Cafe, Tonnie, top 5

It is Cooking Tip Mondays again!! We know, we know, it’s been a minute since you’ve seen a Cooking Tip Monday. But of course, if you have been following us on Twitter (KParrisCooks if you’re not), you already know that there has been a LOT going on as of late!! But no worries…we hired someone to help us with posts, so expect to see many more posts on a regular basis!!
But enough of that. It’s time for a SWEET treat…it’s cupcake time!!

WHOO HOO!!!

So for this week’s Cooking Tip Monday, we’re all for talking about some tricks of the trade for making the best cupcakes ever. Or, if you ever feel like ordering some cupcakes instead…we do that too! Shoot us an email at webaketoo@kimberlyparris.com. Here goes…!!

Tips for the Best Cupcakes Ever

1. The best cupcakes ever start with the best recipe(s) ever! Try out any of your favorite cake recipes in bite size form. You should remember, however, that a batch of cupcakes will take less time to cook than your normal cake recipe, so be sure to keep an eye on them in the oven! As with regular cake recipes, use a toothpick to test doneness.

2. The best bet for baking your cupcakes is to bake them in a shiny pan as opposed to a darker pan. Use cupcake liners for the easiest removal of your cupcakes. NEVER BUTTER YOUR LINERS! It’s not necessary. If you think the cupcakes are going to be super moist and stick, lightly spray the pans with non stick spray. If you plan on making larger cupcakes, spray the top of the pan so that they do not stick.

3. When filling your cupcake pans, only fill up to ¾ of the way. That way, when they rise, they will rise perfectly to the top with no spillover, and then will come out easily.

4. If you want all of your cupcakes to be the same size, use a measuring cup or an ice cream scoop. This will give you the perfect measurement every time.

5. When cooling your cupcakes, cool first in the pan for about 10 to 15 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and let cool completely. This way, your cupcakes won’t become soggy because of condensation caused from cooling in the tins.

6. Lastly, when frosting your cupcakes, be aware of the type of frosting you are using! A thick, rich buttercream can be easily piped onto cupcakes in a very attractive design…if your frosting is thin, though, you’re better off frosting it with your offset spatula (a spatula that is bent specifically for ease of use.
Keep an eye out for this and other cupcakes tips right here at K. Parris!

This week, if you have a tip to add to our repertoire, be sure to tag it #CupcakeWeek !! =o)

Tags: baking, cupcake, sweet, tips, treat

This week’s theme is fruit!! We’re working on getting someone to keep these posts regular, so you have something to look forward to when the days come!

So as we said, we’re talking about fruit this week. This past Tuesday, we talked about The “Truth” About Fruit and how you as the consumer can be more conscious of the way that you eat your food, particularly your fruit. So, in the spirit of our Sweet TnT Posts, here are some tasty and good for you recipes with some of your favorite fruits. Try them in place of your favorite snacks, or as one of your meals!

Photo courtesy of Ravenous Libby

Tropics Inspired Muesli
Serves 6
Adapted from an Epicurious recipe

1 ¼ cups quick-cooking oats
2/3 cup fat-free half and half
2/3 cup non fat vanilla Greek yogurt
2/3 cup orange mango juice
¼ cup agave nectar (use honey if you cannot get your hands on this)
1 ½ cups Gala apples, peeled and grated (about 2 apples)
1 cup chopped raw almonds
3 cups chopped fresh mangoes, pineapples, and strawberries

Mix first 4 ingredients in large bowl. Let stand 5 minutes to soften oats. Whisk orange mango juice and agave nectar in medium bowl. Stir in grated apples and almonds, then 3 cups chopped fruit. Stir fruit mixture into oat mixture. Can be made up to 8 hours ahead.

Chilled Spicy Melon Soup

Photo courtesy of Readers Digest Canada

2 pounds yellow or red seedless watermelon, diced (3 cups)
2 pounds honeydew melon (3 cups)
2 pounds cantaloupe (3 cups)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1 ½ tablespoons turbinado sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup lightly sweet white wine (such as Riesling)
1 teaspoon chopped ginger
¼ of a scotch bonnet pepper, seeded
8 teaspoons crumbled feta
¼ cup tropical fruit flavored sparkling water

Combine 1 cup of the melon with mint and turbinado sugar in a bowl. Set aside. Blend remaining 8 cups melon, lemon juice, wine, scotch bonnet, and ginger in a blender until smooth. Let sit ½ hour. Strain soup; divide among 8 bowls. Top each with reserved melon and 1 teaspoon feta.

So we all know that fruit is good for you. Right? Well, what if we told you that some fruit is better than other fruit? Or that fruit could be considered a carb? What would you say to that? Sounds absurd, right?

Not really.

Here’s a quick and simple lesson (reminder for some) on how your body processes food, which you may or may not know already. Your body takes sugar and breaks it down into a smaller form to allow it to be absorbed into your blood stream and used by your body for energy. Click here for a more detailed, technical explanation.

Many people go on low carb diets to lose weight quickly. (Yes, this is not about fruit. Trust me, it’s connected.) Others don’t realize that carbs are not just breads and rice. The term ‘carbohydrate’ consists of any food rich in starch or sugar. By this definition, a healthy eating lifestyle would include ‘good’ carbs, such as brown rice, fiber rich whole unrefined grains (think multi-grain or whole wheat) and fruit, which is naturally high in fructose (fruit sugar).

Now having said all that, let’s talk about the fruits that are better for you, particularly if your goal is to lose weight. We must preface this, of course, with our usual dietary disclaimer: Any diet that you begin should be gone over and discussed with your physician. (Of course.) However, here are some FYIs about classic favorite fruits:

When we want a quick and healthy snack, we might grab an apple, or maybe a banana or some grapes. But did you know that those three fruits have the highest sugar content of all fruits? (Well, except for dates. But we’ll get back to that.) An apple has 12 grams of sugar, a grape has 16 grams of sugar, and a banana? 20 grams. I know..wow, right? Don’t get us wrong. By themselves, they’re fine. Need a quick boost? An apple with a nut butter does the trick. But…turn grapes into raisins…and place them in cereal like, say for example, Raisin Bran, and you have more sugar in that one bowl of cereal you pour than you do in a bowl of Cookie Crisp. We’re so serious. Don’t believe us? Read this.

So if these fruits aren’t good for you…which ones are?

Well, the truth is, it’s not that these fruits aren’t good for you. What we’re actually saying is that it’s all about your intake of the fruits and what you’re pairing them with. So for example, a bowl of old fashioned oatmeal with bananas and turbinado sugar is a great source of good energy in the morning. Take that same banana and put it in a bowl of Start Smart cereal, and you might be asking yourself for trouble if you eat it too regularly. Then, of course, if the only time you’re eating a banana is in Auntie Mae’s banana pudding or Granny’s banana nut bread, then you have a whole different set of issues.

Some fruits that are lower in sugar and a better idea to eat on a regular basis are your fruits in the berry family, such as blueberries and blackberries. Blackberries have only 8 grams of sugar and are high in fiber as well, so not only are they yummy, they will help you feel full as well. Grapefruits are also a great way to eat light without worrying about sugar intake. We mentioned dates before…dates have a whopping 73 grams of sugar. 73 grams!! Now, again, these sugars are all natural sugars that are primarily good for you. But if you’re into culinary treats and bites, then you know that dates usually get paired with bacon or pancetta and goat cheese or a stronger cheese for the sweet yet savory combination. And then you get the calorie count and the sugar on that tasty treat and you wonder why you ever picked it up. (By the way, it’s 560 calories. For 1 .)

So again. It’s all about how you choose to eat your fruit. Keep checking back with us for more helpful tips on fruit, nutrition, and yummy recipes!

Tags: carbs, dietary, eating, fruit, healthy, produce

Looking for a quick and easy twist on a baked or roasted chicken? Try out this recipe from the K. Parris Kitchens!! Enjoy…

Scallion Herb Butter Roasted Chicken

Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1 large chicken, washed & patted dry
1 small onion, peeled & quartered
1 bay leaf
3 cloves
1 lemon, half sliced, half cut up
5 cloves of garlic
2 stalks of scallion, sliced on a bias
3 sprigs of fresh rosemary, leaves removed
3 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves removed
1 basil leaf, chiffonade
¼ cup butter, softened
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
Kosher salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
Wax or parchment paper (you may also use cling wrap)
Butcher twine

Mirepoix:
2 onions, large dice
1 ½ carrots, large dice
1 ½ celery, large dice

Directions :
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Combine ½ teaspoon each of salt and cracked black pepper with the softened butter. Add chopped scallions and herbs, stir. Reserve 3 tablespoons, set aside. Using the wax/parchment paper, scrape the remaining scallion mixed herb butter onto paper and roll about an inch thick. Stick in the freezer to set.

3. Season and fill chicken cavity with lemon pieces, the whole herb sprigs, onion quarters (place bay leaf on one of the onion quarters and secure with cloves), garlic, salt and pepper. Truss the bird by crossing the chicken legs and tying tightly above the chicken breast.

4. Rub the dried skin with the reserved butter mixture. Season with salt and cracked black pepper.

5. Remove butter from freezer, unwrap, and slice into ¼ inch thick pieces. Loosen the skin on the breast of the chicken and stuff 4 of the lemon slices under the skin, two on either side of the breast, followed by the slices of the compound butter.

6. Place chicken in a roasting pan on cut up mirepoix and roast for ½ hour to 45 minutes at 400 degrees F, then reduce the temperature to 375 degrees F for another hour, or until juices run clear.

Serve with your favorite sides!

Tags: chicken, dinner, food, recipe, roasting

If you’re like us, you love stepping outside of your comfort zone a little and trying different things. Even if you don’t, you’ll love this recipe we came up with for chicken tikka masala, a traditionally Indian recipe made popular in Britain! A few quick words on this tasty Indian dish: chicken tikka is Urdu for “bits, pieces”. The chicken pieces are usually skewered and roasted over hot coals, and brushed with ghee (clarified butter) for flavor. Our version is marinated in the tasty, tangy tomato based yogurt sauce, and then grilled and accompanied by green mango chickpea salad. Enjoy!

Chicken Tikka Masala
(serves 4)

2 to 3 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
5 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp red chile powder
½ tsp garam masala
½ tsp mint leaves
2 tsp tomato paste
1 tsp lemon juice
1 c plain yogurt or low fat sour cream
¼ cup grape seed oil (olive oil if you can’t get grape seed)
1 # chicken breast, boneless

In a blender or food processor, blend the ginger and garlic until smooth. Add remaining ingredients (except for mint) and pulse until combined. Reserve ¼ cup of marinade. Rinse chicken and place in a non reactive container. Add remaining masala marinade and cut up mint and stir. Leave to marinate overnight.
The next day, preheat your grill and grill chicken until no longer pink inside. Cut into chunks and combine with reserved marinade. Serve with additional yogurt, mint garnish, and Green Mango Chickpea Salad.

Green Mango Chickpea Salad
1 can (15 oz) low sodium chickpeas, drained and rinsed
½ green mango, peeled, small dice
¼ cup red pepper, small dice
¼ cup green pepper, small dice
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly cracked pepper
½ tsp garam masala
½ tsp mango kuchela*
½ lemon, squeezed
2 tbsp olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a non reactive bowl and stir vigorously. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

*Mango kuchela is a type of chutney native to Trinidad. It consists of shredded green mango, hot peppers, salt, black pepper, and brown sugar. It can be found in specialty West Indian grocery stores or select supermarkets.

Tags: chicken, food, Indian, mango, masala, tikka

This post is well overdue! If you remember, a few weeks back, we talked about cooking tips for kids. Our young people are becoming more and more cooking savvy by the day! Many of us in the working world are parents. When we go out to eat, we tend to cater to our little one(s) taste buds: Chuck E. Cheese, McDonalds, etc. And of course, it’s not always healthy. Actually…most times, it’s not healthy. Sometimes, you call up a member of your ‘village’ and ask them to watch your little one so that you can go and have some adult eats with your adult friend. Other times, you are relegated to cardboard pizza doom.

Cue Eatery NYC, a trendy New American restaurant in the Theater District of Manhattan.

The ambiance of Eatery is very kid-friendly, and yet still has an adult feel to it. It resembles the diner that you might have found in the Jetsons – clean, crisp lines, metal furnishings, and minimalistic florescent lighting. One of the things that was most impressive was that their wine list (yes, this casual eatery has a wine list) contained gewurtztraminer, a German origin dry white wine that is not as well known as its Chardonnay counterpart, but much better tasting. This, of course, is what I opted for as opposed to my usual Syrah or Pinot Noir. Tania, my usual partner in crime for Grae reviews, opted for zinfandel. Quick wine fact: Zinfandel is a red wine, not a white. The white zinfandel that wineries such as Sutter Home and Beringer make popularly are actually generated to be made white wines. Go figure. The taste was to her liking. It wasn’t as sweet as the red, or as smooth as Chardonnay, but it got a thumbs up!

We started our meal with hummus with a balsamic glaze, pine nuts, and whole wheat pita bread. I’m a hummus fan. It was awesome to me. Tania – not so much the hummus fan. We did, however, both find it light and tasty. The fried calamari we had was of course, superb! I may be biased here (this makes two of us) because neither one of us had ever had a calamari that we don’t like. Accompanied by a white ponzu sauce, which was light and savory yet sweet, it was finger licking good (not that we licked our fingers in the restaurant or anything. We wouldn’t do that. =o)

We ordered a few dishes to try. Kid friendly place this was, my daughter was able to enjoy herself and the food. Her pepper jack turkey burger was moist and had excellent flavor. She was also able to substitute her fries for a salad instead (her idea, not ours!), and the meal itself was quite healthy. We also ordered the Portobello flatbread with Hummus, Baby Spinach, Monterey Jack, and Basil Aioli, the Wok Flashed Tequila Shrimp with Poblano Corn Flautas, Sweet Potato Mash and Cilantro Sour Cream, and the Organic Baby Spinach Salad with Humboldt Goat Cheese, Grilled Chicken, Pickled Pear, Fennel, and Pistachio-Apple Vinaigrette. The shrimp was good, well seasoned and perfectly cooked. The sweet potato, however, served no purpose on the plate. It was a pretty decoration, though. The spinach was good as well, cooked just enough for it to melt in your mouth.

Interestingly enough, all three of us, the ice cream aside, were not as impressed with the flavor of the brownie dessert as we were with the presentation. To quote my little one: “Mommy…um…it looks prettier than it tastes”. My caramel martini, however, made up for it. (No, I did not give my little one any of the martini. I promise.) Overall, our experience at Eatery was as lighthearted and fun as my little one, with great service and a lively atmosphere. If you want to eat well with your young person (and still feel like an adult afterwards) then Eatery is the place for you.

Eatery NYC, located off of Ninth Ave at 53rd St, serves a contemporary New American menu. They offer lunch, brunch, dinner, outdoor dining, delivery, prix fixe menus, vegetarian food, group dining, and 7 day per week dining. Their executive chef is Steve Gutterman.

Tania Breton is a contributing writer to GraeGram.com.

K. Parris Catering and Personal Chef Service, LLC, is an off-premise catering company specializing in French influenced Caribbean cuisine for the elegant yet trendy urban professional. They offer full service event planning, catering, and personal chef services tailored to family friendly as well as urban chic events. For more information, visit her website, or check out her food and spirits blog, “Confessions of an Ex-Foodie”.

Tags: eatery nyc, flautas, food, New American, portobello, wine

Scene: You’re at a social gathering, perhaps a mixer or an after-work event. You grew accustomed to social drinking – a glass of wine or two with friends, perhaps some dancing followed by another glass or two. The only problem is – your doctor advised you to limit (read: stay away) from all alcoholic beverages.

Or maybe you just are not a drinker.

You ask the bartender for cranberry juice in a wine glass (you want to feel special too, you know?) The bartender makes a face at you and (politely) tells you that the wine glasses are reserved for wine drinkers. Then he hands you a regular tumbler of cranberry juice.

Fin.

Ok, so perhaps you didn’t go as far as asking for cranberry juice in a wine glass. The reality is, however, that some of us, for one reason or another, cannot or do not drink alcohol. What do you do when you want to enjoy something like wine, without actually imbibing the alcohol?

Try a non alcoholic wine.

Non alcoholic wine is called such because there is less than 1% alcohol by content level in the beverage itself. (Here’s a fun fact – pasteurized not from concentrate orange juice contains 3% alcohol by volume. It’s naturally occurring. Just thought you should know. ) At any rate, non alcoholic wines use the same grapes, same fermentation process as a regular wine would, but the alcohol is removed from the beverage during the final filtration process, right before being put in the bottle. Due to the fact that the fermentation process is exactly the same aside from that, non alcoholic wines taste the same as regular wine, without the alcohol. (Disclaimer: If you are a recovering alcoholic, just a word of caution: be wary when drinking this. Sometimes, the trigger for relapse is in the flavor and not the actual substance itself. Also, just a trace of alcohol can make some alcoholics uncomfortable. )

Non alcoholic wines can be met with mixed reviews. Some wine connoisseurs think that the flavors in the wines are unsatisfactory. Others, like myself, deem the concept to be a particularly satisfying substitute, provided you purchase the right brand. Non alcoholic wines come in the same brand that regular wines do: red and white, sparkling, etc. Where can one find non alcoholic wine? Some bars actually do carry the wine (a particularly popular one is Ariel Vineyards), you simply need to ask for it. You can also find other non alcoholic wines online, through Peerless Specialties or Wally’s Wine and Spirits.

If you get an opportunity, try a non alcoholic wine today, and tell us what you think! Email us: ex_foodie@kimberlyparris.com

Tags: alcohol, food, non-alcoholic, spirits, thoughts, wine

We at K. Parris have been getting a lot of food related questions lately! So we decided to do a little Q & A, see if these are questions that you have yourself! If you like it, we’ll do it once a month!! So here goes…

Q: Hey, do you know anything about non alcoholic wines?

A: A little! If you check out my post on GraeGram.com, I talk about the advantages and disadvantages of non alcoholic wines. If you check back on Saturday, in addition to our Spirited Saturdays Pick of the Week, we will be sure to talk more in depth about it!

Q: Foodie question: What is a good substitute for mushrooms? Please and Thank you

A: It depends on the dish. Mushrooms traditionally are used for a number of things: to sub for meat proteins like beef, or to add both flavor and moisture to a dish. So truthfully, there is no true substitute for them in that regard. If you want to substitute mushrooms for another protein, you can use tofu or seitan, which is another type of soy substitute that, when marinated, can taste like any protein you can think of. If you are like our foodie friend and don’t like mushrooms, you can add something to the dish that would add moisture and flavor, tofu still works, but add additional spices to make up for the loss in flavor.

Q: I want to lose some weight, but I don’t want to have to be eating leaves and berries for the next six months. What should I do?

A: Check out our Cooking Tip Monday: The Eating Healthy Edition, for some ideas on how to inject flavor into your healthy eating. You can also look through some of our recipes for some healthy eating ideas. Other good websites are Cooking Light and Epicurious.

Q: I love lasagna – but lasagna does NOT like my figure. What can I do to make it a bit healthier?
A: We actually listed in our Cooking Tip Mondays: The Eating Healthy Edition different ways to make lasagna healthier. In addition, next week, we will post our pasta free lasagna recipe that is under 300 calories per serving, so stay tuned for that!!

Check back with us next week for more Sweet TnT Posts!

Have a question yourself that you’d like us to answer? Email us! Ex_foodie@kimberlyparris.com.

Tags: answers, food, foodie, healthy, lasagna, questions, Recipes

Try this tasty salad with loads of vitamins for your lunch tomorrow!

For taco meat:

1 lb of lean sirloin or ground turkey
1 tsp salt
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp chili powder
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
¼ cup parsley, chopped
½ cup onion, small dice
½ cup bell peppers, minced
3 tbsp jalapeno, minced
¼ cup low sodium tomato paste
¼ cup low sodium chicken broth
¼ cup kidney beans or black beans (optional)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

For composed salad:

4 cups mixed greens (mesclun)
½ cup grape tomatoes
¼ cup each of:
• Yellow peppers
• Black or green olives, pitted
• Sliced mushrooms
• 2% reduced fat cheddar or queso fresco
• Cilantro
• Sliced cucumbers
• Red onion

To prepare:

In a skillet, heat the olive oil and have it coat the pan. Sauté onions, peppers, and jalapeno until it begins to soften. Crumble the meat into the pan and cook through, being sure to stir and break the meat up as you go. Little by little, add your seasonings (and beans) and stir. Add chicken broth. Turn fire down and simmer for two minutes. Stir in gently the tomato paste. Let simmer for 20 minutes, then turn off flame and let cool.

To assemble salad:

Lay down salad greens, followed by the listed vegetables in the manner that allows everyone to have equal portions of every ingredient. Serve meat on the side or top of salad, and top with reduced fat cheese. Add Smart Balance reduced fat sour cream if you choose.

Tags: eat, food, healthy, salad, simple, spice, taco