Meals 345-351

12/12 i have been craving indian food, and decided tonight to give in! i made a tofu tikka masala tossed with a ton of green peas. typically tikka masala is a chicken dish, but this is my meatless take on the meal. and the sauce is so delectable, you don't miss the chicken! it's a tomato and cream based sauce with a ton of spices like coriander, cumin, cardamon, ginger, nutmeg, paprika and cayenne. i happened to be making gingersnaps over the weekend, so had many of those spices on hand! the simmer of those wonderful aromatics has made my kitchen smell amazing!!

12/13 another low carb night, another stuffed chicken breast!! tonight's variety was a "pizza stuffed" chicken. provolone cheese and turkey pepperoni on the inside, with marinara sauce and a sprinkling of parmesan on the outside. for a side i made some spaghetti squash with a sun-dried tomato alfredo sauce. this meal definitely satiated the craving for italian food, but eliminated the heavy carbs associated with it!

12/14 for dinner tonight i met up with some friends at neyla (a local mediterranean restaurant) for a happy hour. they have these lovely little chicken shawarma sliders that i love! tender roasted chicken with pickled onions and tzatiki on small roasted chiabata buns. so adorable and so delicious! the best part about happy hour here was that it looked directly out on to the christmas tree and ice rink set up at Reston Town Center. a perfect backdrop for a holiday outing!

12/15  tis the season.....for office holiday parties and mingling! tonight was the first of several office parties. i'm trying very hard to be good this year and avoid the dessert tables and limit myself to a few of the copious amounts of tasty hor d'oeuvres. today i snacked on a few shrimps and a small plate of fruit and cheese. though i did indulge in one of my favorite cocktail snacks....mini quiches!!! you know the kind you buy in bulk from the freezer aisle at costco? those are one of my weaknesses!!

12/16 tonight i met tony's "office parents" for a pre-holiday dinner at a local outback steakhouse. i enjoyed an appetizer of coconut shrimp and a salad. plus copious amounts of their brown bread (which i have tried to replicate with disastrous results). so tasty!!

12/17 after so many night's of social gatherings and eating out i wanted a lighter meal tonight. this has been one of my go-to healthy meals for a while now. baked tilapia with a rosemary-pecan crust. served with a side of roasted cauliflower and edamame. the crunch of the pecan on the fish is just as pleasing as if it was fried in flour and breadcrumbs, but much healthier. and tastier too!

12/18 i am a big fan of the beef barbacoa that chipotle offers, so searched all sorts of "copy cat recipes" on line. i finally settled on one that's done in a crock pot and was most happy with the results! a tender shredded beef that is sweet and spicy and delicious! tonight i served it as a lettuce wrap with roasted peppers and a dollop of sour cream. and i'm sure it will be even better tomorrow for lunch!!