But at least you wouldn't know it if you knew me in person! 

Let me explain. I'm not battling issues of self-worth. Obviously, I'm battling issues of blog-worth! I love writing this thing but for whatever reason, whenever I block off a bit of time to do it, the concept seems sooooo unappealing =( I don't know why. But be that as it may, I am going to quit my whining and finish this post!

*Readers should note that this dinner was made sometime after Chanukah was over (so the menorah represents my laziness elsewhere in my life) but at least sometime before New Years Eve, so it's not THAT bad!

Above is a dinner a deux, I made a similar version that I'll show below that became dinner a trois (?) when my friend came by. Still works. 
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First, as promised, the Kale and Apple Salad. 

This turned out really well again and I couldn't be more proud! 

I almost NEVER cook with nuts and unfortunately when I made this without nuts a few weeks later, it's worth declined significantly.



Nutty Kale And Apple Salad With Honey Mustard/Yogurt Dressing

Ingredients
1 bunch kale (torn into bite sized pieces, use your hands!)
1/3 sweet white onion 
1 large apple (or 2 tiny apples)
1 handful walnuts
Spritz of white wine, chicken stock or water

Dressing: equal parts greek yogurt and honey mustard (not really the spicy or the seedy kind) with a dash of any sort of clear vinegar and a pinch of salt

Directions
1. Chop onion into whatever sized onion pieces you enjoy eating and sautee in a BIG pan (preferably with high edges). I tend to just sautee it in some Pam, but use whatever you like. Once brown, set aside

2. Throw all the kale into the same giant pan (it will look like a lot, but it will wilt into 1/5 of the size) and pour in a small glug of the white wine you'll have with dinner, or whatever liquid you choose. Turn stove on medium heat, throw a cover over the kale and let it settle down.

3. In the meanwhile (or before, which will make the process more relaxing)  chop your apple into your favorite shaped pieces and crush the walnuts (almonds, and probably peanuts also work)

4. Once the kale has decreased to about half it's size, throw in the apples, nuts and onions. Stir. Keep reducing.

5. Put in a bowl, our over dressing! 

**A great tip is to make the dressing in a small jar and shake to combine the ingredients**
**An even better tip is to use a jar
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I am especially proud of the turkey burgers (7o'clock) which are sort of my own invention.

I know they're good because I have served them to several turkey-burger haters, and I always have way less leftover than I would expect. This particular dinner a deux had 1 burger left over, and I only ate 1 myself! 

Juicy, Spicy, Tangy Turkey Burgers


The star of this dish is UNCOOKED turkey sausages. The ones that come pre-seasoned are the best. The ones I use are called "Sweet" or "Spicy". They taste exactly the same, so I have no idea what the difference is supposed to be. They are 150 calories apiece.


Ingredients
1 package turkey sausages 
3-5 tbsp a REALLY chunky salsa (I prefer the Black Bean and Corn Salsa from Dessert Pepper)
Salt, pepper, hot sauce if you're a real spicy food junkie. I am.

That's all, folks!  

Directions: REMOVE TURKEY SAUSAGE MEAT FROM THE CASING. Mash up the meat, add 3-5 tbsp salsa (3 if you're using 4 sausages, 5 if using 6 sausages) and get in there with your hands to mix it up. Don't overmix**. Shape into patties and toss onto a Pammed non-stick pan. Cook about 5 minutes each side until cooked through. Don't be afraid if they start to look a little blackened. Be more afraid if they aren't, because that means they are raw and dangerous inside!

**A side note on overmixing. I keep hearing not to do this with ground meat. I have no idea why or what will happen if I overmix. My burgers have never come out tasting bad, so I can probably assume I have never overmixed, but then, I don't ever want to spend any extra time with my hands wrist deep in freezing cold ground up animal so the incentive to overmix is small**

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Lastly, the Mushroom and Zucchini Quinoa "Risotto". I made this for my last "Dinner A Deux" and actually used that as the title of the post. So the recipe is there. Go look, it's fabulous. 

Like the turkey burgers, this dish is practically guilt free. 

Unlike the Kale salad, which, while nutritious, is not all that low-cal since it has the nuts. 

Next is Breakfast for One! Basically, this is Dunkin Donuts sandwiches made at home and maybe healthed up a tiny bit with some spinach and extra veggies. Have you ever had the DD Turkey Sausage Egg White Flatbread? 300 cals, totally yummy, rather convenient. NOT cheap. And probably not too heavy on the meat or veg. 
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Ingredients


2 servings of Egg Beaters (the kinds that come in liquid form in the carton)

2 tbsp salsa

1 leftover turkey burger (or 1 leftover cooked turkey sausage)

1 sandwich thin (or lite English Muffin)

Spinach

Optional: Chheeeeeeeessseeee

Note: While I always consider nuts optional, generally feel that way about butter, oil and sugar, I almost never feel that cheese is optional. Though, I do love fat free feta cheese so at least I can skim off a few cals there! Importantly, on these, laughing cow wedges work really well and those are also pretty lite. 

Directions
Take a ramekin, really wide base coffee cup/soup bowl or any small flat bottomed vessel and pour in 1 serving Egg beaters, 1 tbsp salsa, 1/2 of the meat and add S+P (and hot sauce!). Microwave for 2 minutes. Detach solidified egg from the cup and plop onto the bread (toasted and topped with cheese and spinach).  Repeat.

Basically this is a simpler, less messy version of my Breakfast Quesedilla. Much easier done when you're working with half a fridge and what is likely a quarter of a real kitchen!
And...since I missed the boat on New Years....Cheers!!! 
(View from the rooftop of my NYE party)
And since you've gotten this far, you probably deserve something more amusing than just recipes (hopefully that will come as I realize that these posts are NOT THAT HARD!! 
Last words...I promise. WTF is up with these New Years Resolutioners at the gym?? It's February, isn't it time to fail the Resolution already? Not that I want people to stop healthy activities, I just want them to stop doing them at the same time and at the same place as me!

XOXO
Jules
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    Author

    I'm a recent graduate from medical school and a pathology resident living in New York City. Like most girls living in the city, I've found that a lot of my social life revolves around the regular consumption of high-calorie food and alcoholic beverages. I've decided to start a blog about how I am trying to beat the bulge by eating and cooking defensively between social engagements and how even a busy girl can fit exercise into a busy life.

    Foodbuzz
    All recipes are on Petitchef

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