Fast Food Lunch - 101 Days of Summer Challenge update and my BBQ update

Did you all read yesterday's post...


Appearing for one night only, in the Dave's Kansas City back yard...


We had 6 racks of ribs, 5 pounds of Potato Salad, Some incredible Smoked beans, 6 pounds of sausage stuffed Pork loin, Cole Slaw and a Caribbean Carrot Cake, washed down with 3 different types of Rum drinks...


 and the most amazing 15 plus pounds of Raspberry Chipotle Carolina style Pulled Pork (on home made buns)...

And believe me, in Kansas City, asking someone to eat Carolina Style pulled pork is asking a lot.  A true test to see how much we are missed.


16 friends came by.  We ended up with 22, as neighbors that were not on the original list were made welcome.  It was a wonderful night.  I even ended up with enough leftover pulled pork so that I don't have to eat my Mother-in-Law's cooking (Hooray!).


You will hear details, I promise.  Just stay tuned...


But today, I want to share a quickie for my 101 days of summer update...


You all remember reading this post last week... A SMOOTHIE - 101 Day Challenge Diet Food, Really.  For those of you not taking notes and hanging on my every word, I am participating in Biz's 101 Day Challenge.  For details of the challenge, click on the blue letters for the original story.  While most of the people accepting the challenge are dieting and exercising to reach their goals, I am taking a more natural effort, using portion control, walking for exercise and committing to 4 servings of fruits and veggies a day.  I usually start my day with a long walk, followed by a banana or orange (serving 1) for breakfast (never was a big breakfast eater).  Around 10 or 11 (island time), I have one of my smoothies for a snack.  Now, I do have another banana in the smoothie, as well as 2 cups of juice.  Not sure if I should count that as a single fruit serving, or as many as three servings (the juice).  But for this series, let's just count it as another single serving.


Today, I will show you my lunch.  It is busy here on the island (well, there on the island, as I am writing in Kansas, but will be back in a couple days).  I have snorkeling to do, shell hunting, Iguana racing, laying out on the beach reading... just so much to do, so little time.  I don't spend a long time cooking my lunch.  So, the other day, I set a stop watch timer on myself to see just how fast I can make...

A fast food lunch...

With my third serving of fruit or veggies in a day...

Mise en Place...


Eng Bread (only need 1 - 3/4 inch slice of a sweet French bread.  I have a recipe for a quick loaf that I make every week on baking day.  So, my bread was already made, doesn't count for the challenge)


1 Roma Tomato (a tomato is a fruit, not a veggie, but I digress)
1 clove of Garlic
Some Olive Oil


Sharp knife
Non-stick pan
cutting board

Set your stopwatch at 0:00 and ...


GO

Heat your pan, add 2 TBS of oil to the bottom. Slice your bread, and rub both side in the oil.  it will soak up all 2 TBS worth...

Over medium heat... Remember, Olive Oil has a low burn threshold.  So do not get the oil too hot, or you will have burnt toast), toast one side of the bread.

Slice the tip of a clove of garlic off.  Rub the exposed garlic on the bread.  The oil will flavor the bread perfectly.

Sharpen up those knife skills, and dice your tomato while the bread is toasting...

After about 2 and a half minutes, flip the toast so the other side gets toasty... repeat with the garlic...

Waste not want not... That is a perfectly good garlic clove to dice up and add to the toast top.  I was hoping to have this done in 5 minutes, but it took extra time for photography...


Top the toast with the diced tomatoes and you have lunch...

Well, not a 5 minute meal, but 7 minutes is pretty good, as is my lunch (actually VERY GOOD)...


Fancy restaurants will call this tomato topped toast, BRUSCHETTA.  And they will charge you $7 for an appetizer of bruschetta.  I was plenty full and ready for my full afternoon of Island living (sun tans don't happen by accident).


Fruit for vitamins
Bread for carbohydrates (don't believe the nonsense, you need carbs if you are going to exercise)
Oil ... Helps keep your system clean and has health benefits (google olive oil, it has lots of health benefits)


All under 7 minutes (could make it under 6 minutes if I don't need to take pictures).


My fast food lunch.


And Biz...


I ate 4 servings of fruits and veggies every day this week.
I walked for a minimum of 1 hour each day (Even days I traveled 2500 miles, and even on days I cooked for a party of 22)


But I am wondering...


Does Carrots in a Carrot Cake count as a serving of Veggies???


See you tomorrow when I post from Beautiful South Dakota...