ArcaMax

How to Buy Sparkling Water

Have you noticed how water is all the rage now? Everyone is drinking it. Bottled. Canned. It’s everywhere.

When I was a kid the only bottled water in the grocery store was a few bottles of distilled water to fill your iron or some other appliances. Now there is an entire aisle (or more) of just water.

I thought I’d give tips on how to buy the healthy versions. There are plenty that are not healthy. The unhealthy ones are filled with sugar, caffeine, artificial sweeteners and more. Some of them are as bad as soda.

Read Full Column at PlanZDiet.com

Super Easy Kung Pao Meatballs

This meal comes together in a MINUTE – or at least it feels like it. I made this for Saturday night movie night and it was a hit!

Servings: Serves 2. Can be easily doubled to serve more or it can be set out on a buffet.

Ingredients:

half a bag of frozen, beef or pork meatballs (use the plain ones, not the Italian ones)
3 Tbl of Tamari or soy sauce (Tamari is healthier)
2 Tbl of rice vinegar
1-½ Tbl of sesame oil
1 Tbl of brown sugar (or a brown sugar substitute like Swerve Brown)
1 Tbl of minced garlic (jar garlic will work, too)
½ tsp of chili pepper flakes (or to taste)
1 tsp of cornstarch
¼ cup of cold water
1 red bell pepper sliced into thin slices (optional)
1 handful of salted peanuts (optional)
4 green onions diced (optional; remove the roots, clean thoroughly and chop up the white and green parts)

Instructions:

Get out your 9-by-9-inch oven proof pan. Spray the surface with olive oil. Add the meatballs and spray those, too. Bake them according to the instructions on the bag.

While they are cooking you'll make your sauce.

In a saucepan on medium-low heat, add the Tamari, vinegar, sesame oil, brown sugar, minced garlic and chili pepper flakes.

While it’s heating, put your water and cornstarch in a small bowl. Stir gently until the cornstarch no longer sticks to the bottom of the bowl and is incorporated.

Once the sauce ingredients start to bubble, add the cornstarch mixture. Mix it in and stir while the sauce is bubbling. You should see it thicken up fairly quickly. Take it off the heat.

When the meatballs come out of the oven, drizzle the sauce over the meatballs and toss the meatballs around to coat them.

You are ready to serve!

When serving, be sure to scrape the bottom of the oven-proof pan so you get every bit of sauce.

If you decide to do the “make a meal” version of the recipe like I did, serve the meatballs in a dinner bowl and top them with your ingredients of choice. I added sliced red and yellow bell peppers, and a little celery for crunch.

If you are in ZReboot 3.5 and decide to add rice, put that in the bottom of your bowl before you add the meatballs, or you can serve it on the side. Just keep your rice portion to a fourth of a cup cooked or less.

Sprinkle on extra hot pepper flakes if you want it zippier.

Enjoy!
Cheers,
Zola