DAILY HEEL WATCH - VALENTINES WEEKEND EDITION

The Nadiah Pump (courtesy of SteveMadden.com)

Get Down, Get Sexy!

This weekend, go all out and wear those HEELS (with nothing else on) for your honey...

Happy Valentines Day.
- Sara

SOUP IS REALLY FOR THE SOUL

DIFFICULTY LEVEL: OY!

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There is something magical about using just one pot to make a whole meal. Clean up is a breeze.

Seems easy, right?

What doesn't seem easy is heading over to your closest Jerry's Famous Deli and spending ten to fifteen bucks on a salty salty soup that tastes nothin like what your grandma used to make.

Here is an alternative to getting in your car (or worse-- spending the extra charge for delivery) and spending your shoe money on something that is truly a ONE POT WONDER.

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• Bouillon cubes, broth, or my favorite "Better Than Bouillon" in the market-- I buy the vegetarian chicken broth (low sodium)
• 1 lb of Chicken or cutlets OR buy an already cooked rotisserie one at the grocery store
• Bag of Instant Whole Wheat Rice (the one that come in little bags) or about 1 cup cooked
• Teaspoon of chopped Garlic
• Handful of Carrots
• Handful of Arugula

Boil 2 cups of broth or 4 cups of water. Add the appropriate amount of bouillon to the water to make it broth. Once boiling, throw in your raw chicken for about 10-15 minutes until it's done. If you are using a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken, skip this step.
Time to shred the chicken. You do this by using two forks and shredding while pulling apart the meat.

Toss out the broth already in the pot (or you can skim the fat that has risen to the top -- I prefer a fresh start) and boil 6 cups of new broth (or water and bouillon) in that same pot.

Throw in some chopped carrots, arugula, garlic and your instant rice. If it's in the bag, cut the bag open and let the rice swim free. Last, but not least, put the shredded chicken back in.

Let the pot simmer until the carrots are soft and the rice cooked. Serve and indulge.

THE IMPORTANCE OF GROWN UP MAC N CHEESE

DIFFICULTY LEVEL: OY!

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I love it. I grew up on it.

But, it's time to grow up.

The following recipe is fresh delicious, and relatively stress-free. So, break out the cheese, pasta (and the other fixings) and enjoy!

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• 1/2 a pound of Whole Wheat Pasta -- I prefer angel hair: quick to cook, hard to mess up.
• 3 handfuls of either Cherry or Grape Tomatoes. (This is a type of tomato, not some special "grape" flavor.)
• 1 and a half cups of Arugula (or just one heaping handful)
• 1 heaping teaspoon of crushed Garlic (or less)
• 1/4 to a half a cup of Olive Oil
• 2oz of Goat Cheese
• two pinches of Salt
• five pinches of Pepper
• two pinches of Dried Basil
  

In a pot, boil water and throw in the pasta.

In a small bowl, combine the garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper and basil. Mix. Halve the tomatoes or leave them as is. Add the arugula and tomatoes to the bowl and coat with the oil mix. Put half of the mixture into a larger bowl.

When the pasta is ready, strain. Add to this larger bowl.

Toss in the rest of the olive oil, tomato and arugula mixture. Crumble up and drop in the two ounces of goat cheese and mix all together.

DAILY HEEL WATCH

Christian Dior's Miss Dior Stingray Pumps (courtesy of Bergdorfs)

I'd like to get stung in these!

OVERCOME YOUR FEAR OF BEING ROASTED (VEGGIES) BY YOUR GUY!

DIFFICULTY LEVEL: OY!

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Get over your fear of rejection at the dining table. If you want to make a nice dinner, make something that is tried and true! Chicken and veggies.

Nowadays, you can steam them, wok them, microwave them, grill them. Perhaps the most overlooked easy and elegant way of making vegetables is giving them the old "roast."

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• Bag of Baby Zucchini
• Bag of Baby Carrots
• Package of Chicken (cutlets or tenders)
• Salt and Pepper
• Chopped, Crushed or Minced Garlic
• Canola oil (spray like Pam)

Cut your baby veggies in halves. Spray your Pam on a tin-foiled baking tray and lay out the carrots and zucchini face up. Salt and pepper with a heavy hand. Set the oven at 410 and put them in before the oven is preheated.

In a hot pan, spray with Pam and toss in your chicken. I prefer tenders (easier to make sure they fully cook) but you can use cutlets. While cooking in the pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper and a teaspoon of crushed garlic. The easiest way to "make" this is buying it in a jar from the grocery store. Smear the garlic over the chicken as it browns on both sides. Spray some oil in a pyrex dish and throw in the browned chicken. If they are almost done, cover with tine foil. Put that in the oven on the unused rack.

By this time, the veggies have been in the oven for about 15 minutes. Pump up the oven to 430 and keep everything in there for another 15 minutes.


How to Plate: The veggies are that unexpected, beautiful element in the dish. Alternate the carrots and zucchini (see my pic above) and stack. You can either plate the chicken and veggies apart or place the chicken above the roasted delights.

If you are having a dinner party and are serving the vegetables on their own platter, stack them as high as they can go!

DAILY HEEL WATCH

Balenciaga's Gladiator Sandal (courtesy of Barneys New York)

DON'T BE CHEESY (TRAY) WHEN YOU HAVE GUESTS

DIFFICULTY LEVEL: OY!

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You have friends coming over for some wine and cheese. How fancy of you!

Here are some tips for creating the perfect cheese plate.

Types:
I like to do one hard, one semi-soft, and one soft. .
Hard: Parmesan Reggiano, Gouda, Cheddar
Semi-soft: Blue Cheese, Stilton
Soft: Brie, Goat cheese

Sweet Element:
I always like to accompany the cheese with: Grapes, Apples, or Pear,
And a "spreadable": Honey -- this is best drizzled over Stilton cheese, Black Raspberry Jam-- for ANY cheese

Carb Options:
Grilled bread -- Brush some french bread of whole wheat baguette with garlic infused olive oil and grill
Crackers-- Easy to buy, easy to serve, easy to eat!

DAILY HEEL WATCH

Fendi's Crisscross Platform Sandal (courtesy of Saks 5th Ave)