Roasted Broccoli with Parmigiano-Reggiano

These are so yummy and so very good for you. Roast the florets in a 400-450 degree oven (mine works best at 425) for a crunchy, somewhat sweet, salty, and awesome veggie. The Parmigiano-Reggiano will look like a ton, but it only adds 27.5 calories for the ENTIRE batch (serves 4) and provides a ton of flavor!

 Snagged these 3 minutes into the baking process. Forgot to take the "before" picture.

Just after the roasting. The Parm. looks like a lot, but I used a very fine microplane grater which made the cheese super light and fluffy (please forgive the poor lighting, I will get better).

After the Parm melted and a little extra vinegar on top (I'm in love with balsamic vinegar!). You may think you see less broccoli and you'd be right. I can't resist this!!

Recipe

Ingredients

1 12 oz bag Broccoli Florets
1 Tbsp light EVOO (probably a lot less)
1T Balsamic Vinegar
1/4 OUNCE Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated on a fine microplane
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper.
2 tsp Emeril's Essence

*All seasonings should be done to taste.

Directions

Spray baking sheet with EVOO. Add Broccoli and top with Essence (salt), garlic powder , black pepper and balsamic vinegar. Bake in a 425 degree oven for 15 minutes. Turn over the broccoli and bake for another 10 minutes. Top immediately with Parmigiano-Reggiano. Serve hot or store and eat on it all week long. YUM!

Serves 4.

*Spices and vinegar are purely estimates. They are provided to give as close to accurate nutritional info as possible.

Nutritional Info:

• Fat: 4.3g
• Carbohydrates: 6.2g
• Calories: 68.6
• Protein: 3.4g

The *Best* Watter Bottle Ever!

 (Click on the picture for a bigger and more detailed view)

Thanks to my good Twitter, Facebook, and Blogger friend, "Too Many Hats", I have discovered the best water bottle ever. I'm sure you're thinking I'm exaggerating a bit, but I'm not. It's the ""Thermos Nissan Intak Hydration Bottle with Meter" . I know it seems a little crazy to get so excited over a water bottle, but I can't help it. It has absolutely everything you could want in a water bottle. It's spout is the perfect size for sipping or downing some water (like during/after a good hard workout), it seals very tightly, no leaking at all. I have thrown it in my purse, dropped it on a hardwood floor (like I did just after I took the above pictures), my cat has attacked it, etc... You name it, it's been through it. It is still in perfect condition. I think my single favorite feature is the meter. There is a line of numbers printed on the lid with a dial underneath it. Every time you fill your bottle up, move the dial to the next number. For those who need a little bit of encouragement to get all their water in each day or just to make it easier to track, this meter is perfect! The bottle holds 24oz of water and the dial goes up to the number 6. So you could drink and track 144 oz of water with little to no effort :). Let me know if you actually make it up that high because I sure haven't. I'm working on it.

The only word of caution that I have is about the silicone seal in the lid. It is what folds over the top of the spout when the lid is closed, keeping it spill free. I've read many reviews about these silicone seals getting misplaced or falling out. If this happens, it is no longer leak proof (still a great water bottle though). Even though the entire bottle is dishwasher safe, I strongly recommend handwashing the lid instead. At the very least, remove the seal before placing into the dishwasher and putting it in a safe place.

The bottles come in 4 different colors: Pink (pictured), Blue, Purple, and Green. At the time of this post, amazon.com is offering a buy 3 get 1 free deal too. They are also available at Target.

Salad Dressing: Gaelos Miso Dressings

"Welcome to Galeos World"

I can't say enough about these dressings! They are out of this world. It's hard to believe they are all natural (no funky stuff at all), low fat, low carb, gluten free, and actually good for you. There are 4 flavors, but so far I've only tried the two pictured above. The Miso Dijonnaise is the best honey mustard dressing I've ever had. The Miso Ginger & Wasabi reminds me of the ginger wasabi dipping sauce that went with the O'Charley's grilled Ahi Tuna (shame on you O'Charley's for taking that off your menu...I will never forgive you!) Both of these are excellent when used as something other than a salad dressing too. Try marinating a lean protein and either grilling or baking it. You can use them in place of high fat condiments too. I can't wait to play around with these more.

You can usually find them in a Whole Foods type of store or order off the internet.  Visit them at Galeos Miso Dressings for more information.

Depending on which flavor you use, 1 Tablespoon is less than 20 calories (the Sesame Seed is 22), 1-2 grams of fat, < 1 gram of carbs, < 1 gram of fiber, and < 1 gram of protein.

Happy Healthy Eating :)!!