Yummy Power Punchers!!!

By now you have gathered I enjoy cooking;  and more importantly, eating as clean as possible. Well, this dish is packed with protein and fiber amongst other things. Quinoa is very versatile; many consider it to be a grain but it's actually a seed. It's loaded with protein which is one of the main reasons it replaced brown rice (I would eat it out but no longer cook it) in my home. Lentils is also high in fiber and protein; many are surprised to discover it has as much protein as chicken. Yes it does, and I'm glad since it is one of my favorite legumes to eat. Steamed mixed veggies are the next best thing outside of eating veggies raw. And last but not least, there is the infamous chick peas again; I told you to expect to see it often. I LOVE chick peas;)!

For this meal, dried chick peas were cooked in my Wolf Gang Puck Gourmet Bistro with spices, onions, garlic and olive oil. The quinoa and lentils were also cooked with the same things in it as the chick peas. Finally, the mixed veggies were steamed with nothing added to them. Actually, veggies are tastier when steamed since you actually taste the food's natural flavor more. This was a lunch meal that left me light, comfortable and loaded with goodness.

Let me know if you try it in any variation or have questions. Happy, Healthy Eating!

Barley--Try Something New

Are you intentionally trying new foods in 2012? If not, I strongly suggest everyone try a new food at least bi-weekly. Most of the best foods for us are not customary to the Western world. A lot of them are recently showing up in our health food stores and a few of our high end grocers; but many pass right by then. Well, Barley is a super food. A few days ago, this dish was posted on a social network and many had questions about barley. I looked it up hoping for a rather simple nutrition explaining but could not give one. It had at least eight different categories that elaborated on why it's so important to eat that encouraged the inquirers to go to http://www.whfoods.org/. It can substitute rice in your meals.

My dish:

 Barley (cooked just like rice); Green Split Peas (stewed down with onions and garlic); and Soya Chunks as my meat substitute which was soaked, seasoned and sautéed with herbs.

Spinach & chick peas salad

I absolutely love chick peas even though they were not apart of my life prior to my college days. These were introduced to me by a friend's mom in Raleigh, NC just before she drove me to college in Charlotte. I grew up primarily on lentils, kidney beans and black eyed peas in the Caribbean but fell in love with them eventually. And now, they are a staple in my pantry; one of my favorite beans. I even make homemade hummus with them from time to time so expect to see them in many of my dishes.

In this salad, there is organic salad mix, grape tomatoes, mushrooms, chick peas and crumbled homemade falafel with some vinaigrette salad dressing.

Dr. Oz's Breakfast treat!!!

I  love quinoa and finally decided to try it as a breakfast food. A friend of mine asked me to do Dr. Oz's 2 day cleanse and this was the breakfast we were supposed to have for two days. It wasn't bad even though the non dairy milk was left out (I had used the last of my almond milk on the smoothie we were supposed to drink for lunch and refused to buy any more); however it was still edible. In the future, this breakfast will be made the way Dr. Oz intended for me to enjoy it.

The breakfast included: quinoa, prunes, ginger, nutmeg and non dairy milk. I cheated and added the banana. This recipe was found in the O Magazine for February. It's loaded with nutrients so you can remain satisfied until lunch.

President's Day Concocted Lunch!!

Awwwww!!! I love this dish concocted by my "right hand" foodie's house on Monday. It was nutritious yet totally delicious. Even the youngest sampler of five had seconds; well she requested from her room to be brough more of the bok choy only and a drink. Hmmm, of course she was ordered to the kitchen to receive her requested items since we did not offer room service. Her little face was too bright and excited as she clearly made her request again. I just had to fulfill her request (LOL).

Our dish: 
Two diced up red potatoes with thoroughly washed canned chick peas curried (add all your fave spices). And in another pot, we sauteed snap peas, bok choy, red onions and mushrooms.

Reward after a GREAT week:)!!

Well for me, on October 10th, my second wellness program started and it was more challenging than the previous one which ended September 30th. Two particular goals were to run 1-3x per week with BGR! Charlotte (Black Girls Run) and begin a different strength training program; ironically, I ran three times and received invaluable tips from a nice guy in the gym so a reward was in order on Friday. 

 Earlier in the week, a friend of mine had store bought leftover sweet potatoes in her fridge and they caught my attention. At that moment, I wanted some but did not (the thought lingered with me every day thereafter). Well, after my 3rd jog on Thursday night, I realized my maximum running quota was met and it was time to celebrate that milestone. The Sunday before I had purchased a bag of sweet potatoes so the idea of making homemade fries hit me on my drive home so that was my reward (first time making them also). In addition, I had never grilled squash or zucchini but heard they were delicious that way so again, I decided to add that to the celebration plans. With making things from scratch, the downside is waiting until it is finished so in the mean time, I snacked on a favorites of mine (almond milk and some newly acquired bran flakes from TJ..pretty good actually).  But wait, no celebration is complete without some wine, right? I pulled out some yearlong aged homemade Muscatine wine from my second daddy in South Carolina...everything was worth it in that moment :).

We all have things we aspire to or need to be doing on a daily basis; whether we acknowledge it or not. For those who write it down, aggressively work at it and get it done, how have you rewarded yourself lately?

Whats cookn' on Sundays?

 

Anyone that knows me would say my stove is always warm:)!!! I really enjoy preparing my own meals and have been in the kitchen since the tender age of nine fixing full meals for a house of 10. The best part of it all is portioning out my meals, stacking them high, stepping back and  smiling. I absolute love it. For a second, it may be a chore until everything on my impromptu menu is scattered on my counters; then I go into a very creative zone and within less than 60 minutes, the mission is completed with a clean kitchen.

What you see above is soy protein chunks that were soaked, seasoned, breaded, lightly fried and placed in a "special sauce". It is not the healthiest way to eat those chunks but it certainly is my favorite way which is enjoyed perhaps every few months in that manner. By the way, I did give two servings to a friend of mine who loves them (shared the "calories..hehe"). Everything else above is self explanatory:).

So, what is a favorite dish of yours or something you really like but do not cook often since it is not the healthiest thing?