Whole Grain Grub

You know you have problems when you’ve been a vegetarian for 15 years and you still need spell check to help you get “vegetarian” right. What the freak!

I JUST figured out that the only way I can master the spelling of “vegetables” is by breaking it down to vege and table.

Anyhoot. This is nothing new or wild and crazy but sometimes it just takes a picture to give you a meal idea or stimulate new ideas of your own.

t'was nice

yum

The deets:

• The salad was just lettuce, shredded carrots, an assortment of olives with olive oil, apple cider vinegar and pepper. I forgot to put garbanzo beans! That would have been great.
• The bread was toasted with a bit of lemon and pepper goat cheese, sliced tomatoes and fresh sage and basil (inspired from the recipe below)
• And of course I added my 2 % greek yogurt with grapes and blackberries.

Very easy, hearty and delish.

smells nice

My girl Marly is the QUEEN of chickpea recipes. The other day I went to her house and she made a delicious curry chickpea dish. I love them because they are so cheap and versatile. The next day I decided to make a spin off of her recipe.

Here’s what you need:

• Can of light coconut milk
• 2 cans of chickpeas
• 1 tablespoon of thai red curry paste
• 2 tablesppons of curry powder
• 5 green onions (or whatever onion you have)
• Fresh Basil
• Potatoes (I think Marly used roasted squash instead)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Here’s what you do

• In a small pot of boiling water, add chopped potatoes and cook until they become semi-soft
• In a big pan, heat coconut milk and then add red curry paste. Stir until it dissolves.
• Add chichpeas. Then add cooked potatoes.
• Add curry powder.
• Lastly add the chopped green onions and basil (then salt and pepper).
• I served with whole grain rice.

cooking

Soooooooooo…you may have noticed that we have a new look (you BETTER  have noticed…shooooot. Hehe. Kidding!). We were getting a little tired of blogger’s formatting issues and switched over to the good old WordPress. Shout out to my homie A. Cole who helped it happen.  This site is a work in progress. Bear with us… we may be improving the look momentarily. I know a handfull of you were “following” us on blogger.  Why don’t you take a minute to subscribe here ———–>

YEEEESSSS! There have been studies proving this in the past. Buuut, as someone who likes her workouts short and sweet, I’m glad this info is confirmed once again.

Here are the deets:

• Researchers at McMaster University in Canada found High Intensity Training to be a time-efficient and safe alternative to traditional types of moderate, longer duration exercises.
• “Doing 10 one-minute sprints on a standard stationary bike with about one-minute of rest in between, three times a week, works as well in improving muscle as many hours of conventional long-term biking less strenuously,” said Martin Gibala, the lead researcher for the study.
• The study had the test subjects pedal at less-than-all-out effort, at about 95 percent of the maximum heart rate. (For a rough estimation of your maximum heart rate, subtract your age from 220.) The researchers found that the test subjects achieved in two hours of total training time over two weeks what it would have taken 10 hours of moderate level activity to complete.

it ain’t healthy, and other than the whole wheat flour, reduced sugar, loads of veggies, and brown rice, it will probably give me a heart attack before 11pm.

But it was damn good, and it looks beautiful! This is what happens when you watch Food Network during the day.

Sesame Chicken Via Food Network.

I <3 Tyler Florence!

Ed. Note: This recipe was inspired by the Mac and “Cheese” side dish served at Oakland Restaurant ‘Mua.’ The recipe doesn’t have many specifics because we all like our mac and cheese different, and because size of the Squash you buy will vary. I also have only made this twice, and both were the result of me messing around in the kitchen and making stuff up. Therefore, take this recipe with a grain of salt (haha), especially when making the “cheese” sauce. Add or subtract if you need to.

1 large Butternut Squash
1/4 cup Butter or Margarine
1/8-1/4 cup Olive Oil
1 teaspoon Flour
1/4-1/2 cup (depending on your taste) grated Medium or Sharp Cheddar Cheese
I package Elbow Macaroni
1 pint heavy cream or half and half (you won’t use it all)
Soy Milk or Real Milk
Sea Salt and Pepper, Cayenne Pepper, Garlic Powder to Taste

Boil water, and prepare the macaroni noodles. Cook until al dente, or slightly undercooked. Don’t over cook them, since they are going in the oven, and will continue to cook. Drain, and set aside.

Cut Butternut Squash into small cubes, dress with some of the olive oil and roast at about 425 degrees until soft and somewhat caramelized. Puree in a blender or food processor until smooth. Use soy milk to get the consistency you like, and set aside.

In a large pot melt your butter or margarine over medium/high heat. Add the flour and whisk until you start to make a roux. Add the remaining olive oil and continue whisking. Your mixture should start to thicken, at this time add half of the cream (or half and half) and continue to whisk vigorously. The milk mixture should start to thicken and get bubbly. Now add the cheese, and continue whisking until the cheese has melted and you have a smooth consistency.

Fold in the butternut squash puree, reduce the heat, and mix all together. You can use as much, or as little of the butternut squash as you like. (I used it all) Add spices to taste, as well as some more of the cream until you get the texture, smoothness, and thickness you like.

Once the “cheese sauce” is done add the pasta, mix well and place in a baking dish. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes, and then broil for another 5 minutes if you like a crunchy brown top.

This is a great alternative to the heavy, fat laden traditional Mac and Cheese, and the sweetness of the squash gives it great flavor! It is also a good way to sneak some veggies into your life.

Vegan modification soon to come!

1 bag Black-eyed Peas (soaked overnight, rinsed and drained, or frozen)
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1/4 bell pepper (of your choice, I used red), chopped
sea salt
fresh cracked black pepper
fresh garlic (I used a lot!)
1/4 cup Earth Balance Margarine (or whatever you got)

Sauté bell pepper, onion, and garlic in margarine until soft, add black eyed peas, salt and pepper. Cover with enough water to cover the top of the beans, bring to boil, reduce and simmer until soft.

I served mine with brown rice, and cilantro as garnish.

YUM!

Don't be fooled by marketing. This Pop Tart label claims to be a good source of vitamins and minerals.

Get real Pop T. The only thing this really offers is 5 grams or fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat and 17 grams of sugar. (Not to mention 170mg of sodium.)

Know what the best source of vitamins and minerals is? Fruits and vegetables! Remember, foods that are the best for you aren't able to market themselves.

Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

A new study points to yes! Two reasons: A. popcorn is a good source of fiber (it’s a whole grain) and B. now there is proof that it’s a great source of antioxidants as well.

I hate milk. I hate it, I hate it, I hate it. I hate the way it smells, tastes, looks, walks, and talks.

This is why I don’t drink it. I drink it’s distant, cooler, cousin of color, soymilk. (I dunno why, but to me if soy milk were a person she would be brown-skinned, and have natural hair, but that has nothing to do with this post so…)

Me and Soy Milk have a had a long-term relationship. I wasn’t feeling regular formula as a baby, so my Mom gave me Soy Formula. You could say “me and soya go back like babies in pacifiers”, for real. We’re tight. But recently I learned that my body’s Vitamin D levels are as pathetic as my courtship of cows milk. Virtually non-existent. ODing on Soy Milk hasn’t been helping either.

Vitamin D is an important part of our body’s ability to absorb calcium, that oh so important mineral for our bones and teeth. Vitamin D is best mostly received by drinking whole milk and getting 30 or more minutes of direct sunlight per day. Being a brown-skinned person, my ability to absorb sunlight, which helps my body produce the Vitamin D needed to process calcium, is lacking as well. So most people of my complexion need to supplement our vitamin D intake, and the average doctor and nutritionist will prescribe my arch-nemesis, Milk.

Like I said, I hate that mess so I have been in search of vitamin D substitutes. My newest discovery is Kefir.

Kefir is milk, it’s just milk’s other cool cousin. It is milk with a little added flavor in the form of Kefir grains, a gelatinous community of fermented bacteria and yeast. (YUCK!) Those bacteria contribute to Kefir’s probiotic power and gut regulation. Kefir aids in lactose digestion, so it is safe and beneficial for those of you who are lactose intolerant! It looks like a watered down yogurt, and tastes that way too. On its own, plain Kefir is hard to swallow. But with the right mixture of fruits and a little sweetness, Kefir is pretty damn good. Good enough for me to drink a whole glass.

The Kefir I have been drinking lately is by Nancy’s, a Eugene Oregon based Family Owned and Operated Dairy Farm that makes organic, hormone free dairy products. Their Lowfat Kefir in Blackberry is truly YUM! It has a pretty high sugar content, from the milk and fruit addition, so I drink a small 4oz serving at a time. Trader Joes also makes their own brand of Kefir, and it is excellent and economical. When I am not spluring on Nancy’s, I buy TJ’s plain Kefir and blend it with various frozen and fresh fruits, or use it as a replacement in smoothies or with granola for breakfast.