Hot Dish Review

With eleven successful locations in the suburbs, Yogli Mogli opened its first truly intown store last week in the Virginia Highlands, directly across from Yeah! Burger.

LC and I happened to be driving by when one of four coveted parking spots in front of the yogurt shop opened up. It was like a sign from God, so we went in. The place was abuzz with excitement as families from the neighborhood and young daters extended their evenings with a healthy dessert.

Since Yogli Mogli is self-serve, guests are in charge of the serving size and calories. We both grabbed a huge one-size-fits-all cup and surveyed the flavors available. It is nearly impossible to stick with just one flavor and even harder to avoid piling on fattening toppings like chocolate chips and granola.

I happen to know the founder of the Yogli Mogli franchise brand who recently related this funny fact; he sees folks get the original tart yogurt, very low in fat, sugar, and calories, then proceed to top it with a handful of gummie worms. Each worm has 42 calories! He said the trick is to do it Mezcal style and put just one worm at the bottom of your cup. When you reach the worm it is semi-frozen. I’ve gotta try it!

If you’d like to sample a flavor you can get a tiny taste cup from one of the employees behind the counter. Anything you put in your container, including toppings, will be weighed at the cash register. Compared to TCBY, you get more for your money here. And if you like the tangy taste of plain yogurt, you will prefer this variety.

There are six more locations slated to open in the coming months, including one somewhere in Buckhead.

With the arrival of Spring, I predict there will be lines out the door at the Virginia Highlands store!

Recently, I had the opportunity to sample a meal from Good Measure Meals, a local company that prepares and delivers healthy gourmet meals.

They offer several calorie options and plans, from dinner only to a full day’s worth of meals and snacks. The best part is that 100% of the profits go to Atlanta nonprofit Open Hand. Seriously cool.

My dinner selection was chicken roulade Florencia topped with mushroom sauce, served with bulgar and lentil pilaf with caramelized onions and Brussels sprouts. Part of a 1200 calorie plan, the meal had 380 calories made up of 11 grams of fat, 43 grams of carbs, and 29 grams of protein. It was relatively high in sodium, 800 mg, compared to many frozen entrees I purchase that hover around the 600 mg mark.

Although a typical dinner that I prepare myself is closer to 300 calories, being lower in carbs and protein, I was pleased with the quality and flavor of this meal. As the name suggests, the chicken was a thin breast piece, rolled up with a spinach filling. The Brussels sprouts were steamed tender but lacked excitement. Bulgur and lentil pilaf was earthy with a nice toothsome quality, contributing to the whopping 11 grams of fiber in the meal. It was hearty and satisfying.

If I were a busy dieter, I would definitely consider using Good Measure Meals. They are fresh and creative, plus I admire their efforts to give back to the community.

After spending a day at Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure in Orlando riding roller coasters like two hyperactive teenagers, LC and I made an early evening of it, getting plenty of rest in preparation for our long drive home the next day.

Before we hit the highway, we had a lovely lunch with a couple of LC’s business associates at Seasons 52. It had been a long while since I dined at the health-conscious chain’s Atlanta location next to Perimeter Mall, so it would be interesting to dine here, at the restaurant’s original spot. I used to make a habit of getting their steak and blue cheese flatbread to go a few years back…..sorta like a guilt-free pizza.

We chose a table on the patio overlooking the lake, with a view of our resort on the other side, and ordered unsweetened iced tea all around. Our dining companions ordered cedar plank salmon and caramelized sea scallops, while LC chose the blackened fish tacos. It was the duck chopped salad for me….quelle surprise!

CK enjoyed his salmon, served with carrots, asparagus, and red bliss potatoes. LK gave me one of her succulent scallops and a bite of the accompanying pearl pasta….very tasty.

There were three fish tacos on LC’s plate, each wrapped in a small soft whole wheat tortilla. Low-fat taco toppings and some crisp lettuce were cool and refreshing against the spicy grilled fish. Nice flavor.

On my very first visit to Seasons 52, I ordered a duck salad. It was lunch, and it was pretty good. I remember the portion size being noticeably smaller than typical restaurant plates, thereby controlling calories. So I couldn’t resist the Maple Leaf Farms duck chop salad, with jicama , grilled pineapple, toasted almonds and a sesame dressing. The chopped ingredients were served in a clear cylinder which our server removed upon presenting my plate. Clever and somewhat over the top.

My duck wasn’t extremely tender but it was nicely seasoned with Asian spices. Crisp slices of jicama, crunchy nuts, and tart pineapple provided plenty of texture and flavor contrasts. I would have guessed the salad to have around 325 calories. Since Seasons 52 puts all the nutritional info on their website, my curiousity couldn’t be contained, so I looked it up. I was surprised to discover it had 440 calories, and a little dismayed that it contained 1338 grams of sodium….yikes! Another frightening statistic, 35 grams of sugar….what what?

Nonetheless, I couldn’t put my fork down until my plate was cleaned. The four of us found ourselves helpless when confronted with the restaurant’s signature “mini indulgences”, tiny parfait versions of classic desserts.

We each had a different sweet treat; key lime pie and lemon mousse for our friends, pecan pie with vanilla mousse for LC, and mocha macchiato for me. Coffee and chocolate combos always lure me in. Just a tiny, innocent dessert, right? OMG, imagine my shock and horror to discover this mini indulgence was loaded with 42 grams of sugar and 370 calories! Deceptive? Not really. Considering there are 500-800 calories in a single slice of regular pecan pie, their mini version comes in considerably lighter at just 320. Naturally, I chose the most fattening of all the minis on offer.

Although we started early, our lunch went on for quite some time, full of witty conversation. Gallons of iced tea later, LC and I made our way to the interstate, headed back to the big city.

Now I’m sorta craving one of those flatbreads.

7700 Sand Lake Rd. 407-354-5212

Several weeks ago when I was trying to cut back on sugar in my diet, I made an effort to eat more vegetables in lieu of fruit. My usual berries with breakfast went on hiatus. Instead, I devised this healthy and delicious omelette using veggies.

SOUTHWESTERN OMELETTE

3 egg whites (or 1 Omega, 1 white)
1/2 small tomato, diced
1/4 ripe avocado, diced
handful of cilantro
thin sliced onion
thin sliced mushrooms
lite pepper jack cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Saute onions and mushrooms until caramelized and set aside (Note: I usually prepare enough for several servings). Whisk eggs (whichever kind you use) with a dash of milk, if desired, and heat non-stick skillet to medium. Pour eggs into skillet, seasoning with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add some of the tomato, avocado, cilantro, and cooked onion mixture to one half of the eggs, allowing to cook a while longer until mostly set.

Flip and cook for 30 seconds, then flip back and add one slice of lowfat pepper jack cheese to the side of the omelette with the veggies. Top with remainder of filling and fold in half, allowing cheese to melt. Season with salt and pepper.

I serve my Southwestern omelette with two slices of pre-cooked bacon and a piece of whole wheat for a satisfying and tasty breakfast.

When I learned that David Sweeney would be closing his wonderful cafe, I was shocked and saddened. On my last visit with my Mom a couple of months ago, Sweeney was upbeat, having recently completed renovations including more bar space in anticipation of finally getting his liquor license.

What happened, you ask? The exhorbitant cost, government red-tape, and ultimately the legal bullshit involved in getting, or rather not getting, his liquor license.

Thankfully, I found out about the eminent closing in time to have one last lunch. Sweeney’s final service will be on Thanksgiving day, a gracious way to thank the neighborhood that has supported him throughout his 3 1/2 years in business.

The small space was full when I arrived at 1:30pm on Saturday. I chose a seat at the bar and started snapping pictures. Seated next to me was a chick who was also taking pictures. Turns out she is a personal chef and big fan of Dynamic Dish too.

Menu selections didn’t disappoint, in fact, with only six or seven choices, it’s amazing how difficult it always is to decide. Each of Sweeney’s dishes exemplifies his idealism. Flavors are clean and vibrant, each ingredient in perfect harmony with the others on the plate.

There was a creamy carrot and sweet pepper soup, a sandwich of taleggio, Bartlett pear, almond butter, scallions, and cranberries on fresh bread baked locally at Magnolia Bakery. A bowl of coconut chickpeas with quinoa, sweet peppers, scallions, and cilantro was offered as well as a brunch dish of farm eggs with roasted potatoes….vegan, vegetarian, just plain good.

I was having a hard time deciding between the two salads on the menu….one with endive, chicory, and almonds, topped with an individual round of Bucheron Chevre, broiled until it just starts to melt. I’ve had variations on this salad with the chevre in the past and they were kickass. But Saturday I chose to try something new, the salad composed of mizuna, avocado, sweet sesame, daikon radish, cilantro and grilled meaty oyster mushrooms. Sweeney is a master of texture and flavor combinations that please every sense….crunchy, sweet, bitter, creamy, all in one amazing bite.

As predictable as I can be with food, Dynamic Dish is (was) the sort of place that forced me to be spontaneous. You just never knew what Sweeney had in store when you walked through the door.

David and I chatted briefly about his future plans. He said he would most likely return to catering, staying here in Atlanta. He brought me a sweet treat, an almond stuffed date, with my check.

It is the only restaurant on my Top Ten list that is mostly lunch and vegetarian. I will sorely miss the welcoming staff, the sunny little space, and most of all Sweeney’s dynamic dishes.

Having only tried the original flavor of coconut water, I was curious about the flavored varieties. BB brought one by my office, Vita Coco with acai and pomegranite, a brilliant combination of the Brazilian potassium-rich coconut water with their favorite anti-oxidants.

If you are one of those people that don’t like coconut, this product is for you! The berry-like flavor of acai and pomegranite completely masks the coconut. It was really quite tasty.

However, don’t neglect to review the nutrition information. Even though coconut water is full of potassium, it also has plenty of sugar….15 grams in the original and 20 grams in the acai flavor. Regular coconut water has 60 calories while the additional sugar from fruit juice puts the flavored varieties around 80.

Despite the sugar, coconut water is all natural and probably the smartest defense against dehydration, whether it’s from lifting weights or lifting your wine glass!

Several months ago I had an ailment of some sort. Maybe it was a sore knee or an itchy earlobe….who knows. My Mom, who’s hobby is the study of herbs and vitamins, always has advice for such things.

We ended up talking about potassium and she asked me if I had ever bought coconut water. “You mean coconut milk for pina coladas?” I asked. No. Coconut water.

It immediately reminded me of the time my Grandma in Tennessee bought a coconut. I was about ten years old and we spent quite some time trying to figure out how to crack it, laughing and being silly the whole time. Eventually, and miraculously without injury to either of us, she managed to split it with a knife, causing the coconut water to trickle out. We caught it in a teacup and tentatively gave it a sip….light and refreshing without being overly sweet. And the texture of the fresh coconut was so different from the previous shredded-coconut-in-a-bag experiences of my youth.

While in Brazil with AD last February we noted the abundance of street vendors selling fresh coconuts. They would chop off the top with an enormous knife, make a hole and stick a straw in. We were at the beach at Ipanema and it was 100 degrees. It’s amazing that people are naturally drawn to foods and drinks that they need to survive, literally. Sweating depletes the body’s potassium and coconut water has the highest levels of potassium found in any food or drink.

I bought a single serving a few months ago at Whole Foods at my Mom’s suggestion. It is just what it sounds like, water with a hint of coconut. I don’t love it. There are other flavors too, like mango or papaya but I haven’t tried those yet. Then, just last week, BB gave me the container of Vita Coco pictured above. I drank it Sunday night as part of my weekend recovery program.

Coconut water is the latest health drink fad, second only to acai, which is ironically also Brazil’s favorite snack (those people are smart, right?). With just 60 calories in each 11.2 ounce serving (from the 15 grams of naturally occurring sugar) and a whopping 680 milligrams of potassium, it’s a great way to replenish and rehydrate after a workout or night out….whatever the case may be!

I kept the bag of Bob’s Red Mill Pearl Barley from my mushroom barley soup recipe in the freezer for future experimentation. My nutritionist is vegetarian so she is a big advocate of barley, quinoa, any grain really. Combined with vegetables, fruit, and tofu, this is the basis of her diet.

So I thought I would give a vegetarian dish a try last weekend….a combination of the barley plus a veggie recipe I started making last year. A savory combo of zucchini, squash, onion, scallions, carrot, and poblano pepper, I cut the veggies julienne giving them a spaghetti-like texture and season them with black pepper, celery salt, and a dash of cayenne.

I made a batch of barley according to directions on the bag….3 cups of water to one cup of barley. It said to simmer for 50 to 60 minutes, however, after just 20 minutes or so I had to add more water, which I continued to do to prevent scorching, cooking it for a total of 45 or 50 minutes.

Then I divided it into four equal servings, the first of which I flavored with a few drops of hot sauce and a handful of cilantro. I spooned half of the veggies over the top…..tasty! I really like the toothsome quality of barley.

Remaining veggies made a satisfying lunch today with another portion of the barley. And a third portion will be a breakfast experiment!

What to do with the fourth serving?

I’ve been a regular at Robeks for a couple of years but I’ve never written about it….until now. Last night at dinner at Geisha House (blogging that tomorrow!) CM said I should blog about my lunch. OK then, here goes!

On Fridays I like to take yoga. If I’m off, I might go shopping or, like today, get a massage. It was awesome! Then off to Robeks for my usual salad, the turkey cranberry. I order mine without onions, extra sprouts, and honey mustard dressing on the side.

Each employee makes it slightly differently but Debbie is the salad master. She takes the time to pick out the bad lettuce (there shouldn’t be any bad lettuce, but sometimes there is), then tops it with sprouts, deli turkey, avocado, pecans, and dried cranberries.

Today’s salad with exemplary, the amount of each ingredient perfect. Sometimes there are way too many cranberries and pecans, and although I would love to eat them all, if there’s an additional 1/4 cup that’s about 150 calories! Ditto with the avocado, which is often discolored due to being cut earlier in the day. Granted, most of their business is smoothies, but avocados just don’t keep, even doused with lemon juice.

There are four or five salads on the menu, each of them translated into a wrap. They are delicious, but putting a 300 calorie salad in a 300 calorie wrap doesn’t make much sense to me.

Despite the questionable lettuce and inconsistent making of the salads, I still love it. The husband/wife owners, Pablo and Zurine, are great (they do triathlons!) and the rest of the staff is very friendly. I like restaurants that promote healthy food and healthy lifestyles so I will continue to support them and enjoy my turkey cranberry salad and occassional acai!