Tomorrow I am leaving for Mexico to celebrate the wedding of 2 wonderful people, I love destination weddings - it means that I get to go to a destination! Mexico is definitely one of those places where you expect to be in a bikini the whole time and that means a quick round up on your bikini body food consumption.

Bikini bodies are toned and lean but still soft in all the right womanly places. Mid winter is not really bikini body season so what is a girl to do but eliminate dairy and up her veggie content. I love my veggies but in all honesty by this time of year I am sick of the limited variety. In the summer it is so easy to eat delicious, healthy, fresh foods but around this time I am anxiously awaiting an asparagus stalk to rise from the frozen grounds so that I do not have to eat one more root vegetable. Now don't get me wrong, I adore sweet potatoes, squashes, and beets but I want some arugula, peas, and peaches already!

My spirits lifted this past week when I received an email from my CSA that it was time for sign ups - veggies are not far away! If anyone is looking for a great CSA, try Royal Acres Farms out of Pine Bush, NY. John is awesome and uniquely you get to choose your own vegetables! He is pretty much my favorite person all summer long, he is always a laugh, has great products, and is knowledgeable, what more could you ask of from your CSA?!

In preparation for my bikini body trip I have been eating a lot of fresh melon, salads, and spiralized noodles, I really can not get enough of my Kitchenaid spiralizer, if you have been debating buying one, do it, it is so worth it. These sweet potato noodles were think and velvety, sauteed with garlic, onions, and tomatoes and then topped with hummus, tahini, lemon, and parsley. Delicious! I hope you enjoy.

Sweet Potato Noodles with Hummus, Tahini and Parsley

1 serving

1 Large Sweet Potato, Spiralized

2 Cloves Garlic, chopped

1/2 Onion, chopped

1 Tomato, chopped

2 tbs Olive Oil

1 tbs Hummus (store bought or homemade)

1 tsp Tahini

Parsley, a Lemon Wedge, and Avocado for Garnish

Heat the oil over medium high heat in a saute pan. Add the onion and cook until softened. Add the garlic and spiralized sweet potato, sauteing until the sweet potato has turned bright orange and is cooked to your desired tenderness. Add the tomatoes, cooking for another minute. Transfer to a plate.

Top with a dollop of hummus, a drizzle of tahini, a squeeze of lemon and a smattering of parsley. Enjoy and healthy eating!

I don't know what it has been with beets lately but it seems that I cannot get enough of them, beet falafels, roasted beet hearts and now beet linguine! I can't help but love them and I sure do hope that Tom Robbins is correct in his novel Jitterbug Perfume, that beets are the fountain of youth. We all know that beets have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxification properties but did you know that they have been shown to reduce tumors?

Personally, I love the color and the earthy sweetness and fortunately this recipe allowed me to use my Kitchenaid spiralizer attachment. I have to say that I love this attachment almost as much as the ice cream maker and that says a lot! I just adore watching it create delightful spiral noodles out of any vegetable, big or small. My hand held spiralizer is awesome for a small zucchini but unfortunately large sweet potatoes or beets where just too big and too hard for all that hand cranking. This tool spiralizes like a dream and opens up a world of options for eating vegetables in a new way.

The recipe tonight combines the earthy flavors of the beets with the saltiness of miso, zing of ginger, and tartness of lemon. I added in the collard greens for an extra boost of green alkalinity and a poached egg for that rich yolk.

The beauty of this recipe is that it is hearty but also light. I hope that you enjoy!

Miso, Lemon, & Ginger Beet Linguine with Collard Greens and Poached Eggs

Serves 2

2 medium Beets, spiralized

2 Eggs, poached

2 tbs Olive Oil

4 Cloves Garlic, minced

2 inches of Ginger, Minced

1 Lemon, juice and zest

1 tbs Miso Paste

2 tbs Water

2 cups Collard Greens, stems removed

Pink Himalayan Sea Salt to taste

Spiralize the beets and place to the side. Heat the 2 tbs of olive oil over medium high heat until glistening. Add the garlic, sauteing for a minute and then the ginger, stirring to cook and combine.

In a small bowl whisk the 2 tbs of water with the miso until smooth, add the lemon zest and juice. Add the spiralized beets to your pan followed by the miso mixture. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.

De-stem the collard greens, rolling them into cigars and slicing in order to chiffonade. Add the greens to the pan and cover again, steaming until bright green and noodles are cooked to the consistency of your liking.

Meanwhile, fill a small pan with water adding a splash of white vinegar, bring to a boil. Crack the eggs carefully into the pan, cooking until the whites have turned solid and the yolk is cooked to your liking, I think it is best if it is runny in this instance.

Place the beet linguine onto a plate and top with the poached egg. Sprinkle with salt, paprika and fresh parsley if so desired. Enjoy and healthy eating!