#my definition of breakfast food has expanded to include brownies and the like as well

[imaginetonyandbucky]

Over-protective Avengers, with Rhodey in first line, are blocking Bucky when he want to stay alone with Tony. Ofc Tony isn't aware, and Bucky doesn''t know if he should kill them or be thankful that they care for Tony. Brownie points if Steve is in Rhodey's team.

How to get away with (murder) Tony - Chapter 1 of 2

“Ithought you had that briefing with General Whatshisname like…five minutes ago?”Tony squints at Rhodey from the other side of the dining table.

“Hecan wait,” the Iron Patriot shrugs, sending a meaningful look Bucky’s way.

IfBucky wasn’t so hungry, he would gladly give up his PB&J sandwiches andsmear them all over the Colonel’s smug face.

“Soyou can finish your breakfast? Wow, Rhodey, you’re going all kinds of rebellately. I’m proud,” Tony chuckles, completely unaware of what is reallyhappening here – as usual.

Atfirst, Bucky thought it was just a coincidence. He would come into the roomwith only Tony in it and within seconds someone else would materialize out ofthin air. He’d go down to the workshop for his scheduled arm maintenance andhalf of the team would already be there, even though they rarely venture downthere. He’d read a book instead of watching the movie the team’s picked up towatch and even two hours after the credits roll, Rhodes and Banner wouldn’t movean inch from their spot on the couch where the engineer fell asleep.

Itreally didn’t take a genius to figure out this particular pattern.

TheAvengers refuse to leave him alone with Tony Stark. Banner, Natasha andespecially Rhodes always keep hanging around whenever he could possibly end upalone with the engineer. Not that he necessarily wanted to be left alone withhim – or anyone, at first – but it’s been months since he’s wrestled controlover the Winter Soldier and had been officially declared an Avenger himself.

It’sclearly not enough to warrant him any alone time with Tony.

Dothey really think he would hurt the man?! Why would he? Tony’s been nothing butnice to him since the beginning. He’s helped him a lot throughout his recovery,not just with his arm that’s now more Stark-made than HYDRA, but in general.He’s been a good friend to him. The joking, the laughter, the nonsensicalscience babbling…everything Tony related makes Bucky feel all kinds of funnylately. Hell, even the Winter Soldier likes him. His normally imposing presencewithin his mind gets all…soft when Tony’s around.

AndBucky would love nothing more than to explore all that a little bit further…butfirst, he needs to figure out why is he on the Avengers’ Alone-with-Tony blacklistor he’s getting nowhere.

(read-more ahead) 

“Well,time to go to work,” Tony announces, refilling his coffee cup. “The new WidowBites are coming along nicely. I’m almost afraid to give them to Natasha…she’sscary enough as is.”

“Agreed,”he mumbles, earning a grin from Tony.

“Idon’t think you need to worry. Your arm versus the Widow Bites? My bet’s on thearm.”

Rhodeysnorts. “Widow Bites ain’t what he should be scared of,” he smirks, wigglinghis eyebrows at Bucky.

Yeah,the Widow Bites are nothing compared to Natasha’s savage combat techniques. Shestrikes hard and…aims low. Of all the Avengers – Hulk included – Bucky tries tosteer clear of her the most.

Tonyfrowns at his best friend. “Scared? What do you mean scared? He’s the WinterSoldier, he ain’t scared of nothing.”

Damn straight, the Winter Soldier agrees.He seldom emerges like this; ever since Bucky has control over him, he usuallystays silent, brooding deep within his mind. But he’s taken a certain interestin their current predicament.

“Surething,” Rhodey nods, careful not to sound toosarcastic. “I’ll be sure to tell Natasha how fearless he is.”

Sonof a b –

Just kill him, the Soldier suggests,almost sounding bored.

Buckyrolls his eyes and wonders if the Avengers maybe still have a point. Should heever lose it and snap into the Soldier, he would likely massacre them all –just to get five damn minutes alone with Tony.

We’ve been over this, Soldier. Killingpeople doesn’t solve problems.

It would solve this problem, the Soldier retorts and Bucky’s all out of arguments.

“Youbetter pray I don’t tell her about you stealing her knife from the gym locker,”Tony smirks this time and it’s enough to make Rhodeswiden his eyes.

GoTony.

“Youwouldn’t.”

“Hellyeah I would. Now, are you going to that briefing or what?” he asksimpatiently.

Rhodes glares at Tony first, then at Bucky and finally, he moves to leave.“Wanna share the elevator on the way down?”

SONOF A B –

“Liketwo teenage gossip girls? Of course,” he nods but pauses, glancing at Buckywith a strange look. He clears his throat and follows the Colonel out of thekitchen. “Later, Bucky,” he calls over his shoulder in a hurry and disappearsdown the hallway.

Kill them all, problem solved.

Hegroans, wishing it would be that simple. Not that he’d expect the Soldier tounderstand that killing someone’s friends won’t solve any problems at all. In away, Bucky’s glad – glad that Tony has someone looking out for him. All the time. Now if he could only jointhe protective squad instead of being the one they’re protecting Tony from.

Fine. Don’t kill them. Evade them.

Buckyraises a surprised eyebrow at the suggestion.As in…

Treat it like a mission. Evade theenemies. Get to the target.

Despitehimself, Bucky smiles. And if enemiessurround the target?

Play by your rules, not theirs. Usedistraction. Confuse them.

Right.Yeah! He can actually do that. So maybe the Soldier is on the road to recoveryhimself.

Or just kill them.

“Spoketoo soon,” he whispers, shaking his head, but a battle plan is already beingdrawn in his mind.

4AM is the perfect time. Nobody’s awake at this hour – nobody but Tony, whenhe’s in some kinda inventing frenzy. Bucky spent the past week carefullyobserving the team’s schedule and decided 4 AM is where it’s at. His chance tosneak into the workshop and –

“Ohhey, Bucks!”

Seriously?!

“Whatare you up to?” Steve asks, standing next to him by the elevator in his jogginggear. He never runs before five! What the…

You should have killed this one atleast. I told you.

It’sfine. It’s just Steve. Out of everyone else, Bucky believes Steve’s presencewas coincidental at best at all times. He’s going for a run. There’s no way he’sgoing to Tony-block him.

“Thearm’s bothering me. Thought Tony could take a look at it if he’s workin’.”

Idiot, the Soldier sighs in the background.When did the Soldier expand his vocabulary?

Stevesuddenly looks like a supersoldier caught in headlights. “Tony? In theworkshop? Now?” he blurts out.

“Uh…yeah?He’s been working all sorta hours lately…figured I could try goin’ down thereand - ”

“Yeah!I mean, that’s a great idea!” Steve smiles, but he still looks awkward. “I’lljoin in! He wanted some feedback on my suit upgrade, so might as well scratchthat off my to-do list before breakfast.”

Buckyjust blinks at his supposed best friend and numbly follows him into theelevator. Et tu, Steve?!

Saturdayevening is the perfect time. Bucky observed that after every mission, eachAvenger has their ritual. Clint makes himself an obscenely large bowl ofoatmeal and watches cartoons on Netflix. Steve stays on his floor and doodles.Natasha sharpens her knives. And so on. Tony spends his post-mission time onthe rooftop. Sometimes he lazily munches on various take-out foods, other timeshe just lays sprawled on the sun beds watching clouds or stars. Nobody evergoes there, especially if they were to disturb him. But Bucky is armed with apot of coffee, snacks and hopes it’s enough to grant him passage. Saturdayevening’s where it’s at, because they’ve just returned from a mission and –

“Poptarts! Sweet!” Clint exclaims, stealing the pack of sweets from him and rushingpast him on the staircase to the rooftop…where the rest of the Avengers alreadyare.

“Roofparty time!” Sam yells, excited, also sprinting past him. “There should be apool here, Tony!”

Theengineer, currently setting up an impromptu bar, sends him a glare. “I’ll getyou an inflatable kiddie pool, birdbrain junior, how about that?”

“Greatidea! We can pour Thor’s booze in there!”

Theparty only escalates from there and nobody leaves the roof until early morninghours. So Bucky just drowns in that kiddie pool.

TheShawarma place is the best place to meet Tony alone. Everybody hates it. ButTony is always in a mood for shawarma after he pulls an all-nighter or finishesa project. So the Shawarma place is definitely where – never mind.

“METALHAND BROTHER!” Thor clasps his shoulder, falling in step with him – no, morelike pushing him along. “I too had a sudden longing for the glorious meal thatis shawarma! ONWARDS! A-HAH! BROTHER OF IRON IS HERE AS WELL! SPECTACULAR!”Thor booms.

Withinminutes, the whole team is having a shawarma breakfast platter there.

TheTower’s server room is the most perfect place to meet Tony alone. Throughcareful observation, he is now certain that nobody even knows this place existsand even if they do, the number of DO NOT ENTER and DO NOT TOUCH signs all overthat place is a great deterrent to uninvited guests. That and the forcefieldprotected, bulletproof entrance you need a code to bypass. Or a metal hand. TheTower’s server room is w –

“Pst!The code is 666, if you wanna sneak in,” Clint whispers, head hanging from thevent above the door. He winks and his head ascends back into the vent, themetal grid clinking back to place.

Thisis impossible. Humanly impossible. So what if Thor can maybe kinda teleport,the others most definitely can’t and yet wherever he goes, someone is there.Doesn’t matter if he’s following Tony, or going where he is or could be. Evenif he goes somewhere Tony is most certainly not at, there’s someone else theretoo! It’s like the entire Tower is working against him!

Still don’t want to kill them?

Holdon…now there’s a wild thought.

Finally. Can I do it?

Nowonder the team keeps on materializing wherever he goes. If the Tower isworking against him, then…

I see. But…how do we kill him?

Buckygrins, making even the Soldier retreat in the face of his wrath.

TBC

#winteriron #tony x bucky #tony stark #bucky barnes #winter soldier #avengers are good AND bad bros #prompts #Lantia #Anonymous

[eggnogdoubt38-blog]

Greek Pasta Salad from Go Dairy Free

If you’ve been reading my site for any length of time, you already know I’m a huge fan of Alisa Fleming from Go Dairy Free. I first met Alisa over 10 years ago (hard to believe, now!), when I was just starting out on the blogging scene and Alisa was already a seasoned professional.

I reviewed the first edition of Go Dairy Free back in 2009 and my effusive description summed up then how I felt about it:

“It was pure pleasure sampling these items from the book, every one of which I’d make again.  I’m looking forward to trying out many more of these reliable, interesting and tasty recipes.  Go Dairy Free is that rare combination in a food-related tome: great food and great advice, all under one inviting cover. “

You can read the full original review here.

Well, not much has changed in my response to Alisa’s information and recipes since then, although the book itself has definitely changed! Now in an all-new, updated and expanded edition, Go Dairy Free truly is the only book you’ll need if you adopt a non-dairy diet and lifestyle.

The new updated edition of Go Dairy Free.

Inside this comprehensive tome, you’ll find chapters that address dairy and dairy-free from a health perspective; tips on eating away from home; grocery shopping and kitchen prep; virtually everything you ever wanted to know about dairy substitutes; and, of course, the recipes (more than 250 of them!).

There are recipes galore. From homemade plant-based milks, cream, cheeses and other beverages to breakfast recipes, baked goods, snacks, spreads/dips, soups, pizzas, pastas, other mains, sides, cookies, cakes, puddings, pies, ice creams and other sweet treats, you’ll quickly see that nothing is missing in a dairy-free diet.

Check out the Peanut Butter Cinnamon Popcorn (I’d use almond butter nowadays, of course) I included in the original review, as well as photos of the other dishes I tried back then (before I was even following the ACD!).

This time round, I’ve bookmarked the sliceable sandwich cheeze, dukkah avocado toast, fudge brownie cookies, snickerdoodle cashew ice cream and so many more that I can’t wait to try!

But the recipe I’m sharing today is also an incredible winner, both in taste, texture, and general appeal.

As usual, the hubs wasn’t keen on trying out something containing tofu. We had a typical exchange when I first received the book and was leafing through, attempting to find a recipe to try out.

The scene: Ricki and the HH sit in the living room, reading. Ricki is flipping through the new edition of Go Dairy Free, drooling over each and every recipe. Finally, she pauses and looks up at the HH.

Ricki: Mmm, this one looks great–Greek Pasta Salad. What do you think?

HH: It depends. What’s in it?

Ricki: Well there’s pasta–

HH: You mean your crazy non-pasta pasta? No way.

Ricki: You’ve had that pasta before. You love it! You must have just forgotten.

HH: [Looking skeptical.] Well, I dunno—

Ricki: And cubes of feta–

HH: [Raises eyebrows] Real feta?

Ricki: No, it’s marinated tofu, which tastes exactly like–

HH: No tofu.

Ricki: But it really does taste good! I’m sure you’ll–

HH: Nope, no way. No tofu.

Ricki: [internal wheels turning furiously]: Okay, fine, I won’t make this one. [Secretly aware that hubby’s memory of this discussion will remain intact for about 14.2 seconds].

The following week, on Wednesday evening, Ricki trots out to the table with a huge bowl of–Greek Pasta Salad!

HH: [eyeing the bowl suspiciously] What’s this?

Ricki: It’s a pasta salad, with a bunch of yummy Greek-inspired flavors and ingredients. Look, it has your favorite black olives and artichoke hearts! [She smiles sweetly.]

HH: Hmmmnnn. Well, I dunno. . . . .

Ricki: Just try a little bit. [She scoops a couple of tablespoons onto his plate].

HH: [looking around desperately for anything else to eat] Well, okayyyyy. . . . . 

He takes a small nibble.

HH: [His face brightening] Hey, this isn’t bad. [Shoves a forkful into his mouth]. You know what, this is pretty good! Have I had this pasta before? It’s great. [Keeps eating until sample is gone]. Yeah, this was fabulous. Can I have some more of that? You should really make this again! Is that feta cheese in there–?

Ricki chuckles softly to herself.

Don’t worry, I did reveal that it was tofu in there. And as predicted, he was incredulous. It really does taste like feta cheese!

Since then, Hubby has invoked me to make it again–and again. He’s come to accept that tofu can actually taste good (yay!).  Luckily for him, I loved the salad too, so we’ve been feasting on Greek Pasta Salad over the past 3 weeks quite regularly.

If you love feta cheese, you’ll no doubt adore the marinated tofu, which resembles the “real thing” so closely it might even be a bit eerie. Paired with toothsome pasta, crunchy fresh vegetables and pungent bits of olive and artichoke hearts, this truly is a meal in one, with the advantage that it can also be prepared in advance (in fact, I found it’s better that way–see my notes below the recipe).

I hope you enjoy the salad as much as we do here. And I’ll leave it up to you whether you mention that it’s actually tofu before–or after–your family or guests have already decided they love it.

    Print This!    

Greek Pasta Salad

reprinted with permission from Go Dairy Free by Alisa Fleming, Benbella Books ©2018

Alisa says, “Tofu soaks up the flavors of the marinade for a mock feta cheese in this somewhat traditional recipe.” See my notes below the recipe.

1 pound (500 g) rotini or fusilli pasta (I used Chickapea)

6 Tbsp (90 ml) extra virgin olive oil

6 Tbsp (90 ml) red or white wine vinegar (see notes, below)

1/4 cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice

2 Tbsp (30 ml) dried oregano

4 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tsp/10 ml)

1/2 to 1 tsp (2.5 to 5 ml) fine sea salt, or to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

8 ounces (275-375 g package) firm tofu, drained and crumbled or cut into 1/2-inch (2.5 cm) cubes

1 (14-ounce or 400 ml) can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered

1 cup (240 ml) cooked chickpeas/garbanzo beans

1 cup (240 ml) chopped yellow onion (1 small to medium onion)

1 bell pepper, any color, cored and chopped

1/2 pound (225 g) tomatoes, halved if small or cut into 1/2-inch (2.5 cm) chunks

1 (2-1/4 ounce/70 g) can sliced olives, drained (I used oil-cured black olives)

Cook pasta according to package directins while preparing the tofu and vinaigrette.

In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, lemon juice, oregano, garlic, slat and pepper. Add the tofu and toss to coat it with the vinaigrette.

Rinse the cooked pasta in cool water. Add the pasta, artichoke hearts, beans, onion, bell pepper, tomatoes and olives to the tofu and vinaigrette. Toss to evenly ocat the ingredients.

Cover and refrigerate the salad for at least one hour, but preferably overnight.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Makes 8 servings. Not suitable for freezing.

Ricki’s notes: To accommodate candida-diet eaters, I used apple cider vinegar in place of the other vinegar. Because ACV is so acidic, I added 5 drops of plain liquid stevia to cut the acidic taste. It worked beautifully.

I also added some fresh basil from my garden, just because I had it and I knew that basil would work well with these flavors. I highly recommend it!

I didn’t add the chickpeas because my pasta is made from chickpeas, but I’m sure they would be delicious in this.

Finally, I marinated the tofu on its own in the vinaigrette overnight before tossing with remaining salad ingredients. I found that the tofu absorbed more of the flavors that way (and made it more hubby-friendly, as well).

Suitable for: ACD All stages; refined sugar-free, gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, egg free, soy-free, nut free, yeast-free, vegan, low glycemic.

Disclosure: Links in this post may be affiliate links. If you choose to purchase using those links, at no cost to you, I will receive a small percentage of the sale.

Subscribe for program updates, health information, recipes and more about living well without sugar, gluten, eggs or dairy!

Click here to subscribe to RickiHeller.com via email. You’ll receive weekly emails sharing news about programs and upcoming events, videos and recipes as soon as they’re posted. A healthy lifestyle CAN be sweet!

Source: https://www.rickiheller.com/2018/08/greek-pasta-salad-from-go-dairy-free/

[shortsrifle7-blog]

Greek Pasta Salad from Go Dairy Free

If you’ve been reading my site for any length of time, you already know I’m a huge fan of Alisa Fleming from Go Dairy Free. I first met Alisa over 10 years ago (hard to believe, now!), when I was just starting out on the blogging scene and Alisa was already a seasoned professional.

I reviewed the first edition of Go Dairy Free back in 2009 and my effusive description summed up then how I felt about it:

“It was pure pleasure sampling these items from the book, every one of which I’d make again.  I’m looking forward to trying out many more of these reliable, interesting and tasty recipes.  Go Dairy Free is that rare combination in a food-related tome: great food and great advice, all under one inviting cover. “

You can read the full original review here.

Well, not much has changed in my response to Alisa’s information and recipes since then, although the book itself has definitely changed! Now in an all-new, updated and expanded edition, Go Dairy Free truly is the only book you’ll need if you adopt a non-dairy diet and lifestyle.

The new updated edition of Go Dairy Free.

Inside this comprehensive tome, you’ll find chapters that address dairy and dairy-free from a health perspective; tips on eating away from home; grocery shopping and kitchen prep; virtually everything you ever wanted to know about dairy substitutes; and, of course, the recipes (more than 250 of them!).

There are recipes galore. From homemade plant-based milks, cream, cheeses and other beverages to breakfast recipes, baked goods, snacks, spreads/dips, soups, pizzas, pastas, other mains, sides, cookies, cakes, puddings, pies, ice creams and other sweet treats, you’ll quickly see that nothing is missing in a dairy-free diet.

Check out the Peanut Butter Cinnamon Popcorn (I’d use almond butter nowadays, of course) I included in the original review, as well as photos of the other dishes I tried back then (before I was even following the ACD!).

This time round, I’ve bookmarked the sliceable sandwich cheeze, dukkah avocado toast, fudge brownie cookies, snickerdoodle cashew ice cream and so many more that I can’t wait to try!

But the recipe I’m sharing today is also an incredible winner, both in taste, texture, and general appeal.

As usual, the hubs wasn’t keen on trying out something containing tofu. We had a typical exchange when I first received the book and was leafing through, attempting to find a recipe to try out.

The scene: Ricki and the HH sit in the living room, reading. Ricki is flipping through the new edition of Go Dairy Free, drooling over each and every recipe. Finally, she pauses and looks up at the HH.

Ricki: Mmm, this one looks great–Greek Pasta Salad. What do you think?

HH: It depends. What’s in it?

Ricki: Well there’s pasta–

HH: You mean your crazy non-pasta pasta? No way.

Ricki: You’ve had that pasta before. You love it! You must have just forgotten.

HH: [Looking skeptical.] Well, I dunno—

Ricki: And cubes of feta–

HH: [Raises eyebrows] Real feta?

Ricki: No, it’s marinated tofu, which tastes exactly like–

HH: No tofu.

Ricki: But it really does taste good! I’m sure you’ll–

HH: Nope, no way. No tofu.

Ricki: [internal wheels turning furiously]: Okay, fine, I won’t make this one. [Secretly aware that hubby’s memory of this discussion will remain intact for about 14.2 seconds].

The following week, on Wednesday evening, Ricki trots out to the table with a huge bowl of–Greek Pasta Salad!

HH: [eyeing the bowl suspiciously] What’s this?

Ricki: It’s a pasta salad, with a bunch of yummy Greek-inspired flavors and ingredients. Look, it has your favorite black olives and artichoke hearts! [She smiles sweetly.]

HH: Hmmmnnn. Well, I dunno. . . . .

Ricki: Just try a little bit. [She scoops a couple of tablespoons onto his plate].

HH: [looking around desperately for anything else to eat] Well, okayyyyy. . . . . 

He takes a small nibble.

HH: [His face brightening] Hey, this isn’t bad. [Shoves a forkful into his mouth]. You know what, this is pretty good! Have I had this pasta before? It’s great. [Keeps eating until sample is gone]. Yeah, this was fabulous. Can I have some more of that? You should really make this again! Is that feta cheese in there–?

Ricki chuckles softly to herself.

Don’t worry, I did reveal that it was tofu in there. And as predicted, he was incredulous. It really does taste like feta cheese!

Since then, Hubby has invoked me to make it again–and again. He’s come to accept that tofu can actually taste good (yay!).  Luckily for him, I loved the salad too, so we’ve been feasting on Greek Pasta Salad over the past 3 weeks quite regularly.

If you love feta cheese, you’ll no doubt adore the marinated tofu, which resembles the “real thing” so closely it might even be a bit eerie. Paired with toothsome pasta, crunchy fresh vegetables and pungent bits of olive and artichoke hearts, this truly is a meal in one, with the advantage that it can also be prepared in advance (in fact, I found it’s better that way–see my notes below the recipe).

I hope you enjoy the salad as much as we do here. And I’ll leave it up to you whether you mention that it’s actually tofu before–or after–your family or guests have already decided they love it.

    Print This!    

Greek Pasta Salad

reprinted with permission from Go Dairy Free by Alisa Fleming, Benbella Books ©2018

Alisa says, “Tofu soaks up the flavors of the marinade for a mock feta cheese in this somewhat traditional recipe.” See my notes below the recipe.

1 pound (500 g) rotini or fusilli pasta (I used Chickapea)

6 Tbsp (90 ml) extra virgin olive oil

6 Tbsp (90 ml) red or white wine vinegar (see notes, below)

1/4 cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice

2 Tbsp (30 ml) dried oregano

4 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tsp/10 ml)

1/2 to 1 tsp (2.5 to 5 ml) fine sea salt, or to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

8 ounces (275-375 g package) firm tofu, drained and crumbled or cut into 1/2-inch (2.5 cm) cubes

1 (14-ounce or 400 ml) can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered

1 cup (240 ml) cooked chickpeas/garbanzo beans

1 cup (240 ml) chopped yellow onion (1 small to medium onion)

1 bell pepper, any color, cored and chopped

1/2 pound (225 g) tomatoes, halved if small or cut into 1/2-inch (2.5 cm) chunks

1 (2-1/4 ounce/70 g) can sliced olives, drained (I used oil-cured black olives)

Cook pasta according to package directins while preparing the tofu and vinaigrette.

In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, lemon juice, oregano, garlic, slat and pepper. Add the tofu and toss to coat it with the vinaigrette.

Rinse the cooked pasta in cool water. Add the pasta, artichoke hearts, beans, onion, bell pepper, tomatoes and olives to the tofu and vinaigrette. Toss to evenly ocat the ingredients.

Cover and refrigerate the salad for at least one hour, but preferably overnight.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Makes 8 servings. Not suitable for freezing.

Ricki’s notes: To accommodate candida-diet eaters, I used apple cider vinegar in place of the other vinegar. Because ACV is so acidic, I added 5 drops of plain liquid stevia to cut the acidic taste. It worked beautifully.

I also added some fresh basil from my garden, just because I had it and I knew that basil would work well with these flavors. I highly recommend it!

I didn’t add the chickpeas because my pasta is made from chickpeas, but I’m sure they would be delicious in this.

Finally, I marinated the tofu on its own in the vinaigrette overnight before tossing with remaining salad ingredients. I found that the tofu absorbed more of the flavors that way (and made it more hubby-friendly, as well).

Suitable for: ACD All stages; refined sugar-free, gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, egg free, soy-free, nut free, yeast-free, vegan, low glycemic.

Disclosure: Links in this post may be affiliate links. If you choose to purchase using those links, at no cost to you, I will receive a small percentage of the sale.

Subscribe for program updates, health information, recipes and more about living well without sugar, gluten, eggs or dairy!

Click here to subscribe to RickiHeller.com via email. You’ll receive weekly emails sharing news about programs and upcoming events, videos and recipes as soon as they’re posted. A healthy lifestyle CAN be sweet!

Source: https://www.rickiheller.com/2018/08/greek-pasta-salad-from-go-dairy-free/

[gethealthy18-blog]

Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

New Post has been published on http://healingawerness.com/news/maple-roasted-brussels-sprouts-with-bacon/

Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

Enjoy these Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon as a holiday side or winter weeknight dish. Packed full of flavor from fresh orange and smoky bacon, these brussels sprouts will not disappoint.

I cannot believe this is the last recipe of 2018. I’m not going to go on about how 2018 went by in a flash because, well, it did NOT. 2018 was an incredible year, but it was also a difficult one for me. At times it felt like it was dragging on and other moments flew by but all in all it’s a year full of adventure, experience and a hell of a lot of growth!

I can’t say that there’s any particular reason for these Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon being the last recipe of the year. I mean I guess that fact that they taste amazing and have BACON is probably a good enough reason to post them. Then again I did post chicken fingers as my final recipe before getting married so I don’t know that there’s always a method to the madness…

I did want to take this post to walk you down memory lane and some of my favorite recipes this year. I will also be sharing my THM Year in Review recap at the end of the week so you’ll see a few repeats in there but that post isn’t just about recipes so I thought I would highlight a few here.

To start, this was definitely the year of easy dinners and breakfasts. I’ve always been a breakfast lover, but I really wanted to expand our recipe-base to include healthy dinners and I’m happy to say that we succeeded!

My favorite recipes of 2018:

–The Best Healthy French Toast –Baked Buffalo Chicken Fingers –Quinoa Veggie Bowls with Miso Sesame Dressing –How To Cook The Perfect Stove-Top Chicken Breast –The Ultimate Grain-Free Brownies

This was also the year that Jess joined Team Maven as our official recipe developer. Even though she’s only been with us for a short 4 months, it quickly became clear that Jess is a key part of THM. As I mentioned in this post, it’s not that I don’t enjoy food and recipe developing, it’s simply that I don’t have the time to give it what it deserves. Between writing, photographing, developing content, teaching yoga, working on Camp Wellness, producing podcasts (and everything else…) developing recipes and testing them for you just couldn’t be a priority.

I didn’t want to have to say goodbye to recipe posts so I invited Jess to join the team. Best.decision.ever. Jess and I collaborate on recipe dev and she tests the recipes 2-5 times as needed. She then comes over and we tag-team cooking and shooting. It’s a system that has worked wonderfully and I’ve loved seeing your response to the new and creative recipes Jess is bringing to the table.

So clearly 2018 has been a big year! It’s also been a long year, and a challenging year, but also…a delicious year! Let’s celebrate by eating these Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and better yet, in the company of good people.

Print

Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

Author: Jess @ The Healthy Maven

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

2 lbs brussels sprouts,

2 large oranges (we used valencia)

1/2 lb bacon

1 tbsp + 2 tsp maple syrup

3 tsp red wine vinegar

1/4 tsp red chili flakes (more if you like a lot of heat)

Instructions

Set the oven to 425F.

Wash and dry both oranges. Remove the rind of 1 orange using a sharp paring knife, making sure to avoid as much of the pith, that bitter white layer, as possible.

Next, juice the orange. Zest the second orange and set the zest to the side.

Chop the bacon into bite size pieces and cook in a cast iron pan over medium high heat until you have crispy bacon pieces. Remove the crispy bacon pieces and place on a towel lined plate. Pour the bacon fat into a small bowl or jar and set aside.

Wash and dry the brussels sprouts and trim the ends and halve them.

Place the brussels, orange rind and juice, 6 tbsp bacon fat (or whatever amount your bacon has rendered if less than that), chili flakes and maple syrup back into the cast iron skillet or onto a baking sheet.

Season with salt and pepper and place in the oven. Roast for about 40 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the brussels are nice and crispy.

Finish by adding the red wine vinegar and orange zest and bacon pieces. Toss everything together and serve.

What was your favorite recipe you cooked this year? Any recipe requests for 2019?

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[consulting-celiac-in-the-tardis]

5 Secrets to Eating an Energizing Breakfast When You're Working Full-Time

New blog post! There are two kinds of eaters: the people who skip breakfast and the ones who wish they could eat it for every meal. I've always been part of the latter group; even when I was taking 17 units of classes in college, I never went without some oatless oatmeal or a big smoothie bowl! However, now that I've started my first "real" job - as Senior Editor to Entity Magazine - I'm starting to understand why 31 million Americans skip breakfast everyday. In 2011, a survey by NPD Group  found that 10 percent of Americans skip breakfast, reportedly because they aren't hungry, don't feel like eating or don't have time. And, considering how hard I find it to "slow down" and make time for breakfast when I'm working at home, I can only imagine the challenges the average commuter faces.

What's a workin' gal to do? Get some help from these five secrets to eating an energizing breakfast - whether you're working full time, a busy college student or anything in between! 1. Prep ahead of time as much as possible. There's no better party than a preppin' party...okay, that's a lie, but prepping your breakfast ahead of time can make your mornings ten times easier. You don't have to make your entire breakfast either. If you're going to eat a yogurt parfait once you get to work, cut up your fruit, put your granola in a bag and put your yogurt and other cold toppings close together in the fridge. This way, all you have to do is grab your bags in the morning and throw everything together in the office! If you do want to have a breakfast buffet waiting right when you wake up, some of my favorite prep-ahead meals include:

Overnight Quinoa Flakes: if you want a breakfast similar to oatmeal but packed with even more protein, this is what dreams (and happy tummies) are made of...

Cozy Cacao Oatless Zoats: zucchini has never tasted so sweet - and breakfast has never been more easy to eat on the go!

Eat Yo' Greens Mini Baked Pancakes: these gluten free and vegan pancakes stay good for over a week in the fridge, which makes them perfect to make on the weekend and eat all week! 

Zucchini Bread Nana Ice Cream: this is my favorite breakfast to make ahead. Simply blend your smoothie as usual and store it in a glass container/jar in the freezer. When you want to eat it, pop it in the microwave on defrost until melted through and enjoy!

Berry Coconut Granola or Green Smoothie Granola: really, any of my granola recipes make delicious breakfasts with a fruit and little (plant based) milk or yogurt. Both recipes boast some hidden veggies, making them a healthier way to start your day. 

Superfood Coconut Banana Cookies: cookies in the morning? Luckily, these are just healthy enough to count as a well-rounded breakfast!

Bliss Balls: these taste like candy, are packed with superfoods like coconut flour, dates and nuts, and are easily personalized. What more could you want?

Some of my personal faves!

Some nights, the last thing you want to do is spend time in the kitchen, prepping for the next day. Just try to remember how happy you (and your taste buds) will be the following morning! 2. Use naturally energizing ingredients. While I wouldn't classify myself as a night owl, calling me a "morning person" would be a bit of a stretch. So, even though I don't drink coffee, I need all the energy boosts I can get when I wake up. Luckily for me - and others who want to lower their coffee intake or don't drink it at all - there are plenty of other naturally energizing foods, including: fresh fruit (yay natural sugars!), water (with studies showing that dehydration can often make people feel fatigued), nuts (which are packed with magnesium and help convert sugar to energy) and cardamom (which promotes blood flow by expanding small blood vessels). If you want a coffee-like drink with none of the energy crash, you may want to add Macaccino to your grocery list. I recently got the chance to taste this superfood drink and fell in love with the chocolatey flavor. The Original Roasted Maca Blend that I tried boasts a mix of organic roasted maca, cocoa powder, mesquite powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg. As I've written before, maca has been shown to improve immune function, memory, focus and stress management - while also helping to balance hormones. As a result, this drink is about as healthy an energizing drink as you can get.

Hot cacao in smoothie form! ;) 

Since I'm a total smoothie addict, I added a scoop of Macaccino to my morning nana ice cream. While I won't claim it made my work productivity double, I definitely enjoyed the rich, chocolatey flavor. Any energy boosts were just a bonus! You can also brew Macaccino like hot chocolate or coffee by just adding hot water. No matter how much of an early bird you are, we all need a little help from time to time. Whether it's fresh fruit, trail mix or Macaccino, just don't forget to include ingredients that will set your energy levels up (no pun intended) for success! 3. Know what processed foods are your friends - and don't feel guilty for using them! Maybe if I had my own personal chef, I'd always eat from scratch for breakfast - but that isn't my reality, and it isn't most of Americans'. In fact, a recent study found that more than half of Americans' calories come from "ultra-processed" foods. As I've mentioned before, processed foods is an umbrella term that can include a variety of foods - and some are way healthier for you than others. The key is learning which of these foods to avoid - like "ultra-processed" foods that contain ingredients like extra colors, sweeteners, emulsifiers and flavors - and which can be part of a healthy diet.

The perfect morning start...or night snack!

So what processed foods aren't as bad as their title might imply? Think of minimally processed products like whole grain breakfast cereals, pre-cut fruit or veggies, no sugar added yogurt, packaged trail mix or even pre-made granola. Lately, one of my favorite (and, full disclosure, sponsored) breakfast additions is Frontier Bites. These snacks boast eight natural ingredients - like nuts, seeds, brown rice syrup, organic honey, puffed rice and millet, and fruit - and no refined sugar. I'm particularly addicted to topping my So Delicious yogurt - or a green smoothie bowl - with some Macadamia Pineapple Coconut bites for crunch. Add some fresh fruit, nut butter and chia seeds for a well-rounded - not to mention super delicious - breakfast. The truth is, not everyone has the time, money or energy to make all of their own food, and we shouldn't feel ashamed to reaching to processed foods for a little help...especially when those products are as nutritious as they are delicious. 4. Stick to what you know works. Of course, maybe what kinda "works" for you is skipping breakfast altogether. However, when you're trying to introduce a new healthy habit into your life, don't go farther out of your comfort zone than absolutely necessary. As a blogger, I love trying new products. As a foodie, I love trying new recipes! Yet, I rarely miss having a smoothie bowl for breakfast (unless I'm traveling, in which case I just eat all of the smoothie toppings and lots of fruit!). Why? I know that smoothies won't upset my stomach and that they'll give me the fuel I need for a busy day.

My brunch at the airport!

My mom is also gluten free, but she has a very different daily menu. Her days start off better with a simple bowl of buckwheat flakes cooked in the microwave with water. Add one sliced banana, a little cinnamon and a drizzle of honey, and she's one happy eater - and so is her belly. The moral of these stories is basically to show that everybody is different and, well, every body is different too. No one wants to go into work feeling nauseous, overstuffed or still hungry, so keep experimenting until you find the breakfast that is "just right," in the words of Goldilocks. And when you find your edible soul mate? Make it a committed relationship and stick to a breakfast you know works for you! 5. Treat yo' self...while treating your body right! Now, "treating yourself" doesn't necessarily mean kicking off every morning with a bowl of ice cream. Maybe that's A-OK on your birthday - but you also need to regularly focus on treating your body to the fuel and nutrients it needs. When I'm working, taking a break for brunch can seem like an annoying interruption. However, I know that if I don't feed myself right, I won't be able to write "right" either!

Taking a trip on the sweeter side!

Your ultimate goal should be finding a breakfast that tastes like dessert but is healthy enough to be a main meal. My recent secret weapon is Heavenly Organics's raw honey. Compared to processed honey, their products offer a variety of health benefits - ranging from antioxidants to Vitamin C to properties that help stabilize blood pressure, aid digestion, fight cancer, lower bad cholesterol and decrease inflammation. And, of course, their honey tastes pretty scrumptious on everything from pancakes to oatless oatmeal. Some days, brownies are acceptable breakfast material. Other days, your body needs a green smoothie. Treating yourself - and your body right - means both breakfasts are allowed to land on your weekly menu, because feeding our cravings can be just as important as feeding our bodies. The definition of "treat" is up to you...and you and define it differently every day! Before I turned into a (pretty legit) "working woman," I never understood how so many people could regularly skip breakfast. Now, I have a better grasp on how difficult eating an energizing breakfast can be - and way more respect to the expert foodies who've already managed this feat for years!

Cheers to delicious work day mornings!

With the right prep time, healthy ingredients and mindset, though, eating breakfast while working a full time job doesn't have to be complicated. In fact, it can just be incredibly delicious! *I received these products free of charge in return for a written review. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own.* What is your favorite breakfast to eat before or at work? Have you ever tried Macaccino, Frontier Bites or Heavenly Organic honey before? Tell me your thoughts below! via Blogger http://ift.tt/2joik4i

#Blogger #college #celiac #gluten free #coeliac #celiacs #paleo #primal #foodporn #foodart

[touristguidebuzz]

Review: United Polaris Lounge Chicago A La Carte Dining

It’s no secret that United has invested a great deal of time and money into its new Polaris business class offering. Earlier this week, the airline started its a la carte dining option at Chicago O’Hare Airport. While TPG Editor-in-Chief Zach Honig already reviewed the United Polaris Lounge at ORD, I had a chance today to stop by and try out the new food options. Spoiler alert: It’s all really good!

During my visit, I had the opportunity to test out the new breakfast menu, served until 11:00am, and the lunch/dinner menu, served until 30 minutes before closing. That usually means food is available for order until 8:30pm, but the lounge does technically stay open until the last flight of the day leaves, just in case of delays. Today, the staff transitioned from breakfast to lunch between 10:30am and 11:00am, so if you’re looking for breakfast items specifically, I’d suggest placing your order before 10:30am.

While I didn’t entirely love the new Polaris seats I tested out on the ground recently at an event in Chicago, this new Polaris Lounge makes United Clubs, Admirals Clubs and Delta SkyClubs feel like you’re flying Spirit Airlines.

Dining Setup

The United Polaris Lounge is a pretty substantial size, considering only business- and first-class passengers (flying United Polaris or in a premium cabin on a partner) have access — no club membership or elite status will get you in here.

I love the new individual pods where you can sit and get some work done or just relax. Currently, there are 16 dining tables available, though UA plans to expand that to 24 tables by next week. Each one sports a “Reserved” sign, but fear not — they are open to anyone. According to the staff, the reserved sign is just to make it clear that these tables are saved for a la carte dining, and guests are discouraged from sitting there otherwise.

Don’t worry about the “Reserved” signage — it’s only there to ensure that the tables are used for dining only, and not simply as regular seating.

During my visit, the tables were never completely occupied, but in the event that they are, the lounge “concierges” will open a waitlist, much like at a traditional restaurant, and find you in the lounge when a table is ready.

There’s also a great buffet, with novel little skillet plates for the taking. Guests are welcome to enjoy their buffet options at the individual pods or elsewhere in the lounge, but you can’t do the a la carte dining outside the dining tables area. I do prefer it this way, as it truly feels more like a restaurant with attentive table service, rather than just ordering food at a lounge.

There’s also a buffet selection with novel little skillet dishes if you want something quick.

One thing to note — the lounge is definitely set up for people traveling solo, or with one companion. All the dining seats so far are for one or two people, and most of the seats around the lounge are either individual pods or a pair of chairs. This makes sense for an international business- and first-class lounge that you can’t access with elite status or bring guests into (except for passengers in Polaris first, and even then, only one guest anyway).

If you do happen to have an entire family flying with you in business class, you’ll likely have to ask the staff to try to awkwardly merge the rounded tables together if you want to sit together. But for the majority of cases, this setup makes a lot of sense, promotes privacy when traveling for business and makes the lounge feel far more comfortable.

There’s also a buffet set up in a separate area of the lounge, which you are obviously welcome to eat from as well. There were really cool dishes served in mini-skillets — frittatas for breakfast and other items for lunch. Sadly, the items weren’t labeled or marked, so I had to ask a lounge attendant each time to figure out what they were.

Breakfast

Upon approaching the dining area, I was quickly given a table and menu, then assigned a server — just like in a restaurant. The menu is designed to have smaller portions so that you can try out multiple items if you’d like, or save room for the in-flight meal. Personally, on Europe-bound evening flights, I tend to like to eat in the lounge so I can get as much sleep as possible on the short hop across the Atlantic.

United’s delicious breakfast selection at the Chicago Polaris Lounge.

Along with pastries and breads, the breakfast menu consists of:

French toast, with caramelized apple and maple syrup

Belgian waffle, with market berries and warm cherry compote

Smoked salmon and potato latke, poached eggs, American caviar and hollandaise

Eggs Benedict, Canadian bacon and roasted tomato hollandaise

Magnificent Mile breakfast, with eggs prepared to order and roasted potatoes

Sides of Potatoes O’Brien, sausage links, and apple smoked bacon are available for order as well.

The breakfast buffet had three frittata options, as well as two types of porridge, along with sausages and other items.

Apart from the sit-down menu, there’s also a sizable buffet selection, with fruit, pastries, two types of porridge and three types of frittatas — vegetable, sausage and bacon, and a cheese option. I tried the sausage bacon frittata, which was alright, but assuming you have enough time, I’d stick to the a la carte menu.

There are plenty of pastries to go around in the buffet section.

I wanted to try as much of the food as possible, so I ordered an orange juice, Eggs Benedict, smoked salmon and potato latke (with caviar!) and Belgian waffles. I asked for the Eggs Benedict and smoked salmon dishes together first, which turned out to be a good idea — the smoked salmon and potato latke is essentially an Eggs Benedict, but with smoked salmon instead of ham and a potato latke instead of an English muffin.

I ordered the Eggs Benedict and smoked salmon with potato latke and caviar side-by-side — a delicious decision.

The eggs were perfectly poached with both dishes, with plenty of delicious, oozing yolk. Both were served with a side of roasted potatoes, and I found the portions to be perfect for the occasion — you can always order more food, but I hate wasting it if there’s too much before you get on a flight. The star here was the caviar on top of the smoked salmon dish. Sure, it’s probably not gourmet caviar, and didn’t come close to what I’d just eaten in Cathay Pacific first class merely hours before, but c’mon, when’s the last time you’ve had caviar in any lounge, domestic or otherwise? The caviar added a perfect balance to the poached egg and hollandaise sauce, with just the right amount of saltiness.

The Belgian waffles were delicious as well, though I didn’t care for the cherry compote as much.

To finish up the meal, I had a Belgian waffle topped with fruit, cherry compote and powdered sugar with syrup on the side. I didn’t care much for the cherry compote, but the waffles were cooked to just the right amount of crispiness and were otherwise delicious.

After the meal, my wonderful server Monique proactively brought over an Illy latte, complete with Polaris logo coffee art on top. I’m not a coffee expert, but it tasted pretty decent.

After my meal, I was proactively offered an Illy latte, complete with the Polaris logo.

All in all, I’m a guy who usually dislikes breakfast in favor of lunch or dinner. I was pretty impressed by the options offered though, and the smoked salmon and potato latke topped with caviar definitely stole the show — I highly recommend ordering that if you generally like Eggs Benedict.

Lunch and Dinner

After working in an individual pod for a few hours to let my stomach digest the food, I headed back to the dining area to try out the lunch menu — I wish I had eaten less for breakfast, since the lunch menu was even better. Lunch/dinner service begins at 11:00am, and is available into the evening hours.

Here’s what you’ll be able to order for lunch.

As with the breakfast menu, many of the options come in small portions so you can try more than one item — note that the entrees are the exception and represent a heartier meal. Some of the dishes, such as the buttermilk chicken and pear and cranberry cobbler, also take a little longer to prepare (about 15 minutes). Your server should let you know more about that, but keep that in mind if you have a flight to catch.

Many of the dishes are created by Chef Art Smith, whose claim to fame was a stint serving as Oprah Winfrey’s personal chef.

Appetizers

American beef carpaccio, with Chicago-style picked vegetables

Fontina Arancini with roasted tomato sauce

Soup

Charred carrots and apple with candied fennel slaw

Salads

Roasted beets, with whipped charred feta and macadamia crumble

Seared tuna with mizuna greens

Sandwiches

Blue Door Kitchen burger, with beef, sharp cheddar, garlic aioli, bacon, picked onion, tomato, fries and a fried egg if you’d like

Buttermilk fried chicken, with pimento cheese, picked onion and tomato

Entrees

Buttermilk fried chicken, with honey hot sauce and braised greens

Seared rib eye, with orange ginger sauce, forbidden black fried rice and seasonal wok-fried vegetables

Shrimp and grits, with tasso ham, crispy okra and tomato stew

Sweet potato gnocchi with sage brown butter

Desserts

Decadence by chocolate, a dark chocolate brownie truffle, with milk chocolate banana cotta, and white chocolate bark with dried cherry and pistachio

Ice cream

Pear and cranberry cobbler, with macadamia nut crust and red wine caramel sauce.

There are salads and cheese on offer in the buffet, if you’d like — but if you have time, definitely take advantage of the sit-down dining option instead.

Again, there are a number of buffet options available as well, including cheeses, salads, brownies and mini-cake bites. Among the hot options were a braised short rib, pasta and what looked like a chicken pot pie with puff pastry. The latter turned out to be a mushroom pot pie, devoid of any chicken — a small placard or label would have been quite helpful here.

For dessert at the buffet, there were brownies and delicious mini-cakes that reminded me of a cake pop.

Among the buffet options, I tried out the braised short rib and the pot pie — the short rib was great, with great flavors and wonderfully cooked Brussels sprouts. I was less impressed with the pot pie — which, again, I would’ve avoided if it had been labeled.

As with breakfast, if you have the time, I’d highly recommend skipping the buffet options and going straight to the a la carte menu.

I tried the braised short rib and pot pie — both were good, but nothing compared to the a la carte items.

Since lunch had been served for an hour or so after I had enough of an appetite, the lounge was abuzz with people talking about the fantastic menu and food, so I was quite excited to try it out.

I ordered the beef carpaccio to start, followed by the roasted beet salad, buttermilk fried chicken and seared rib eye (cooked to medium rare, of course).

A well-prepared beef carpaccio, which perhaps could’ve used just a tad more seasoning.

Let me tell you — each of the dishes I ordered were superb. The lunch menu here isn’t fancy by any means, but with excellent, hearty food. It easily compares to food in top international first-class lounges like Qantas First in LAX, and Cathay Pacific’s The Wing and The Pier first-class lounges in Hong Kong.

The beef carpaccio was excellent, though perhaps just a tad under-seasoned to my taste. The beet salad was fantastic, with both red and golden beets and a wonderful feta cheese. Around me, I heard other passengers raving about the beet salad too, so definitely try it out if you’re a fan of beets.

The roasted beet salad is fantastic, and tasted very refreshing with the fried chicken. It was so good that I may have been guilty of tasting it before I remembered to take a photo!

Next up were the real stars of the show, the entrees: I had the buttermilk fried chicken first, which was incredible. The chicken was tender and moist, but crispy. Be careful with the hot sauce though — it’s delicious, but spicy! Definitely taste a little first before pouring or dipping your chicken straight into the sauce.

I would definitely order this fried chicken again — it’s the best fried chicken I’ve ever had.

I finished up the meal with the seared rib eye, which was cooked to perfection at medium rare. Steak is one thing I try to avoid eating on planes, since reheated partially cooked steak is very difficult to get right with a galley oven. This was definitely a good way to satisfy my appetite for steak. I could’ve done with a little less orange ginger sauce, which tasted like teriyaki, though, and I left the vegetables and rice on the plate. But none of that really matters, since the beef itself was incredible.

To finish, I had the seared rib eye, cooked to a perfect medium rare.

At that point, I was too full to order dessert, and I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, but there are three options to choose from should you want it.

All in all, the lunch/dinner was fantastic. If you find yourself in a Polaris lounge soon, I highly recommend trying the roasted beet salad and the buttermilk fried chicken. I’d also order the seared rib eye again, just for the steak.

Overall Impressions

Food at the Polaris Lounge is great — really great — miles better than any other domestic offering from United’s competitors. American Airlines, for instance, offers limited buffet food options in its “International First Class” lounges. Later this year, those lounges will be branded back to “Flagship Lounges,” and some will offer Flagship Dining to first-class passengers only — keep in mind that Polaris dining is available to all business- and first-class passengers.

If you have the time, I’d definitely suggest taking advantage of the a la carte options — they’re much better than the buffet choices, which are already fantastic. While Delta did offer some a la carte dining options in its JFK Sky Club for premium-cabin passengers some time ago, it no longer offers any sit-down dining options.

My server, Monique, was great as well, with service as attentive as the best restaurants. There are at least two servers for just 16 tables of two, of which only five were occupied when I dined, so there’s definitely a feeling of personal attention.

One last item of note — the lunch/dinner menu (but not the breakfast menu) solicits cash or credit card tips at the bottom. I found this to be a little strange for a lounge — perhaps others feel differently. During my visit, I didn’t notice anyone leaving cash tips, or approaching the bar to swipe a credit card for tips.

Accessing the Polaris Lounge

Currently, there’s only one Polaris Lounge in operation, and that’s at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD). A Newark Polaris Lounge should be opening by the middle of this year, along with one in San Francisco. United is planning to open a total of nine Polaris Lounges around the world, with Dulles and Los Angeles following later in 2017, and Hong Kong, London and Tokyo, which are all expected to open by the end of 2017.

Polaris Lounges are only accessible to business- and first-class passengers flying United Polaris or business or first class on Star Alliance partners. Club memberships and elite status won’t help you here — United Club members, Star Alliance Gold Members, Global Services members, etc., can only get in if they’re flying business or first class.

Have you had a chance to dine at Chicago’s Polaris Lounge?

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