Today's post is how to enjoy a healthy diet when you only have a few minutes of free time a day. Having three jobs is cramping my cooking style a little bit lately, but I've found ways to have healthy food when time is tight. The key is preparation. Making things in advance that you can freeze is really helpful.
My latest little experiment was concerning juice. I love juicing, but I don't love waking up an hour early to prep the fruits and veggies, make the juice, clean the juicer, and put everything away. So I thought, why can't I just make this in advance? So that's what I did, but fresh juice only stays fresh for a couple of hours, so I couldn't just leave it in the fridge. What I did was, I made all the juice at once and froze it in ice cube trays overnight. Then I transferred them into zip top freezer bags. I know that each juice cube is one ounce so when I want a glass of juice, I just take out eight cubes from my little baggies and defrost them over night. The next morning I have a fresh glass of juice without having to break out the juicer. I did every fruit and veggie individually so I could mix and match my flavors. The ones I chose were: watermelon, beets (with their greens), red grapes, lemon, lime, grapefruit, orange, green apple, carrot, celery, kale, spinach, collard greens, and rainbow chard. When I take my cubes out to defrost, I include a lemon or lime, three more fruit cubes, and 4 veggie cubes. That way I know I'm getting a healthy mix. This worked out so well. I made so much juice it would make your head spin. I filled an entire shelf in my freezer. I'm going to have juice probably forever. It's going to be great.
This juice option is much easier for me than making it everyday, but it's also way cheaper than buying it everyday. They have some juices that have become popular lately that, while super tasty, at $8 a pop, just aren't worth it to me. Plus they've been processed so they can sit in grocery store refrigerators, so they've lost a little nutrition too.
My next little helpful tip is to spend one day every two to three weeks cooking up a ton of stuff. I make at least two kinds of soup, spaghetti sauce, veggies for stir-frying, brown rice, oatmeal, roasted sweet potatoes, mini fritatas, veggie burgers, baked pasta dishes, and marinated chicken or steak. For the stir fry veggies, I blanch them all really quick in a big pot and then portion them out in zip top bags to be frozen. Then when I want stir fry, everything I want is in one bag premixed with everything I like. I also freeze the soup and spaghetti sauce in individual portions. Same with the marinated meat. You don't even have to cook that, just put it in a freezer bag and take it out before you're ready to cook it. I do brown rice and oatmeal in huge batches and then portion those out. Once their defrosted, they reheat really well so you don't have to spend forty minutes cooking rice. The mini fritatas, potatoes, and veggie burgers can be thrown in the oven without defrosting to reheat for a quick meal. That's what I'm eating currently. Sweet potatoes with pinto beans and some salsa. Delish. And I made it like a month ago.
I am also a huge fan of smoothies. If you have one of those personal sized blenders, you can whip up a healthy breakfast or snack in no time. Throw in some frozen fruit, a little almond milk (or whatever it is that you drink) and maybe a little protein powder or flax seeds, or greens, and you've got yourself a meal.
If you haven't noticed my theme yet, it's that for all you time crunched friends, the freezer is your friend. The freezer keeps everything fresh longer, which means it will taste good for awhile and you don't have to cook every day. And spending one day making it yourself means it will be wayyyyyy healthier than that frozen, salt laced, preservative filled crap at the grocery store. You know exactly what's going in to it. Also, you can customize it to what you like.
But you can't live on frozen food alone. One day a week I also make fresh food in huge batches that can hang out in my fridge for a few days. I always make a big batch of salad and a big batch of fruit salad. And I may be known to make sandwiches a couple days ahead in weeks where I know I won't have 5 minutes to spare. They're all super handy for when you want to eat something nutritious and delicious, but you also need to leave the house in four minutes. I also usually make a batch of tabbouleh because it's sooo good, and I end up eating it all by the end of the day.
Lastly, I just want to share a couple of things that make your life much easier when you don't have a lot of time on your hands. When you get home from the grocery store, prep everything. I always chop my veggies and store them in containers with a little water to keep them crisp. That way, whatever carrots and celery I don't use for salads or stir fry end up precut into veggie sticks for dipping in hummus when I want a snack. Individually portion (or portion for the family if you're cooking for more than just yourself). Break everything down into what you would use for one meal. That way you don't have to defrost everything and waste it. Single serve yogurt with some fruit is a good breakfast on the go. For me at least, it helps when everything is already prepped and ready to go. Because anyone who knows me, knows that I would rather starve than wake up 20 minutes early to make breakfast.
So those are all my helpful hints for being healthy when you don't really have time to be. All it takes is an afternoon once a week to save you time all month. Or to save you from spending every night slaving away in the kitchen. Do you guys have any other tips that I missed? Please let me know. I can use all the help there is!! :)
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Sunday, February 2, 2014
I Might Be a Little Obsessed With Breakfast
I loooooooove breakfast. Okay, maybe I love breakfast foods, but I hate waking up to actually make breakfast at regular breakfast hours. So sometimes I have breakfast at strange hours of the day. I have also been known to throw a breakfast for dinner party every once in awhile. Seriously, there are so many spectacular breakfast foods. I can't even pick my favorites. But what I can do is show you two, yes TWO, breakfast recipes that you can enjoy any time of the day.
I recently became the proud owner of a lovely little waffle iron. It's amazing. I'll probably never eat a pancake again. Okay maybe that's not true, but why would you have pancakes when you can have waffles?! I whipped up a few different kinds of waffles, which was super easy because I am also the proud owner of a beautiful Kitchen Aid mixer. Probably the best Christmas gift I've ever received. I've wanted one forever, so now maybe I'll actually enjoy baking.
Anyway, back to the waffles. I made a really simple waffle batter and made a few plain waffles. Then I took some of that batter and folded in a few chopped strawberries. Then I added chocolate chips to some more batter. I also used waffles as bread for breakfast sandwiches. It was pretty great. But then I learned that you can make omelettes in your waffle iron. Yeah, that's a thing. It makes one of my favorite breakfast foods into another favorite! Also, once you've made the omelette waffles, you can freeze them and reheat them in the toaster. Waffles anytime!!! So here's the recipe!
Omelette Waffles
6 eggs
1/4 cup cheddar cheese
1 green onion
salt and pepper
A little oil or butter to grease the waffle iron
Any other veggies you want to add like zucchini, spinach, tomatoes, broccoli, or bell peppers.
Preheat the waffle iron and grease it with the oil or butter. Beat the eggs and then stir in the remaining ingredients. Add 1/4 cup of egg batter per waffle. It won't look like much, but it expands A LOT. So don't overfill it or you'll have eggs running down your iron and onto the counter and there will be eggs everywhere and it will be a huge mess. Trust me, it's not great. Cook the waffles for about 2 minutes, until the eggs are cooked through. It's different for every waffle iron, so you might need to do a test one. This recipe makes about 6 waffles in my iron. When you're done cooking all your omelette waffles, you get to eat them! I topped mine with a little salsa. I'm not sure if this is easier than just making an omelette, but it looks pretty cool so I'll probably keep doing it.
Recipe number two is a pretty easy one, but it was super tasty so I have to share.
Arugula and Fried Egg Sandwich
1 whole wheat bagel thin
1 cup arugula
1 slice of cheese (I used colby jack)
1/2 tsp + 1/2 tsp olive oil
1 egg
salt and pepper
Toast your bagel (If you want. Apparently some people don't like toasted bagels? I don't get it, but to each their own). In a small pan heat 1/2 tsp of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the arugula and saute until it's a little wilted, about 2 minutes. Place the cheese on the bagel and then the arugula over it, so it melts a little. In the same pan, or a cute little egg pan like I have, heat the remaining oil over medium heat. Crack open your egg and fry it in the oil until the top of the white is cooked. Add the salt and pepper. You could also scramble your egg if that's what you like. Put the egg on top of the arugula and add the top of your bagel and eat up! It would also be really tasty if you added some avocado or tomato or the jalapeno relish that will be appearing in my next post. This was super easy to make. So easy that I actually made it in the morning before work. If you wrap it up in foil, it travels pretty well too. I had it with some fruit salad on the side. I usually make a big batch of fruit salad and eat it for a couple days. Mine had watermelon, apples, oranges, tangerines, grapefruit and blackberries. Yummy!
I also recently got a French press to make coffee, and that's pretty great too. It makes super strong coffee, plus it's fun to do. I bought my coffee from the farmer's market and they ground it for me so it would be the right coarseness for the French press. Pretty cool. Also, how pretty is my mixer?! I love it!
Don't think this is the last of my breakfast posts. There will probably be a few more waffle inspired recipes coming your way.
I recently became the proud owner of a lovely little waffle iron. It's amazing. I'll probably never eat a pancake again. Okay maybe that's not true, but why would you have pancakes when you can have waffles?! I whipped up a few different kinds of waffles, which was super easy because I am also the proud owner of a beautiful Kitchen Aid mixer. Probably the best Christmas gift I've ever received. I've wanted one forever, so now maybe I'll actually enjoy baking.
Anyway, back to the waffles. I made a really simple waffle batter and made a few plain waffles. Then I took some of that batter and folded in a few chopped strawberries. Then I added chocolate chips to some more batter. I also used waffles as bread for breakfast sandwiches. It was pretty great. But then I learned that you can make omelettes in your waffle iron. Yeah, that's a thing. It makes one of my favorite breakfast foods into another favorite! Also, once you've made the omelette waffles, you can freeze them and reheat them in the toaster. Waffles anytime!!! So here's the recipe!
Omelette Waffles
6 eggs
1/4 cup cheddar cheese
1 green onion
salt and pepper
A little oil or butter to grease the waffle iron
Any other veggies you want to add like zucchini, spinach, tomatoes, broccoli, or bell peppers.
Preheat the waffle iron and grease it with the oil or butter. Beat the eggs and then stir in the remaining ingredients. Add 1/4 cup of egg batter per waffle. It won't look like much, but it expands A LOT. So don't overfill it or you'll have eggs running down your iron and onto the counter and there will be eggs everywhere and it will be a huge mess. Trust me, it's not great. Cook the waffles for about 2 minutes, until the eggs are cooked through. It's different for every waffle iron, so you might need to do a test one. This recipe makes about 6 waffles in my iron. When you're done cooking all your omelette waffles, you get to eat them! I topped mine with a little salsa. I'm not sure if this is easier than just making an omelette, but it looks pretty cool so I'll probably keep doing it.
Recipe number two is a pretty easy one, but it was super tasty so I have to share.
Arugula and Fried Egg Sandwich
1 whole wheat bagel thin
1 cup arugula
1 slice of cheese (I used colby jack)
1/2 tsp + 1/2 tsp olive oil
1 egg
salt and pepper
Toast your bagel (If you want. Apparently some people don't like toasted bagels? I don't get it, but to each their own). In a small pan heat 1/2 tsp of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the arugula and saute until it's a little wilted, about 2 minutes. Place the cheese on the bagel and then the arugula over it, so it melts a little. In the same pan, or a cute little egg pan like I have, heat the remaining oil over medium heat. Crack open your egg and fry it in the oil until the top of the white is cooked. Add the salt and pepper. You could also scramble your egg if that's what you like. Put the egg on top of the arugula and add the top of your bagel and eat up! It would also be really tasty if you added some avocado or tomato or the jalapeno relish that will be appearing in my next post. This was super easy to make. So easy that I actually made it in the morning before work. If you wrap it up in foil, it travels pretty well too. I had it with some fruit salad on the side. I usually make a big batch of fruit salad and eat it for a couple days. Mine had watermelon, apples, oranges, tangerines, grapefruit and blackberries. Yummy!
I also recently got a French press to make coffee, and that's pretty great too. It makes super strong coffee, plus it's fun to do. I bought my coffee from the farmer's market and they ground it for me so it would be the right coarseness for the French press. Pretty cool. Also, how pretty is my mixer?! I love it!
Don't think this is the last of my breakfast posts. There will probably be a few more waffle inspired recipes coming your way.
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Honey Lemon Chicken Salad
Hey guys! I moved in to my new apartment this week! I'm so happy!!!!! I love living by myself and having this amazing kitchen all to myself. Plus I feel like a real adult now. So since I've been here, I've been cooking a lot more, and tonight I made the most amazing salad. It has a lot of components, so it might look complicated, but all of them are super simple. I'll just get straight to the point and just give you the recipe now. :)
Honey Lemon Chicken Salad
Greens, lettuce, and whatever else you like in your salad. Enough for 2 people
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup honey
juice of 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic, minced
1tsp chili powder
2 tsp olive oil
1 cup quinoa
1 cup each water and chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup frozen corn
1 small tomato, diced
1 avocado, cubed
1 orange, segmented
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
salt and pepper
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Rub 1tsp of oil on the chicken and place in a baking dish. Combine the soy sauce, 3 tbsp of the honey (I just eyeballed it and went with a very generous drizzle), the juice of half the lemon, the garlic and the chili powder. Pour over the chicken and bake for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked all the way through. When it's all done, let it cool a little bit and slice it. Meanwhile, combine the water, broth, and quinoa in a small pot and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and cook for 10 more minutes, or until the liquid has been absorbed and the quinoa is fluffy. In another pan, heat the remaining 1 tsp of oil over medium heat. Toast the corn until it's a little bit charred. Put the greens in 2 big bowls, or on plates and top with the sliced chicken, quinoa, corn, orange, tomato and avocado. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and cilantro, then drizzle with the juice of the other half of the lemon and a little more honey.
I had some leftover salad from last night's dinner with mixed greens, carrots, celery and cucumber so I just used that. You can adjust the ingredients to whatever you like. If you want to swap the chicken for tofu, go for it. If you want to add black beans, I think that would be delicious. In fact, I wanted to add black beans, but I can't find my can opener and I don't have any that I cooked. If you want to leave out the orange because you think it's weird, be my guest. If you don't like cilantro (which is apparently a common thing that I just don't understand), leave it out. And maybe top it with some tortilla chips or toasted pumpkin seeds. This salad is your playground, my friends.
So freaking good. You can thank me later ;)
Honey Lemon Chicken Salad
Greens, lettuce, and whatever else you like in your salad. Enough for 2 people
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup honey
juice of 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic, minced
1tsp chili powder
2 tsp olive oil
1 cup quinoa
1 cup each water and chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup frozen corn
1 small tomato, diced
1 avocado, cubed
1 orange, segmented
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
salt and pepper
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Rub 1tsp of oil on the chicken and place in a baking dish. Combine the soy sauce, 3 tbsp of the honey (I just eyeballed it and went with a very generous drizzle), the juice of half the lemon, the garlic and the chili powder. Pour over the chicken and bake for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked all the way through. When it's all done, let it cool a little bit and slice it. Meanwhile, combine the water, broth, and quinoa in a small pot and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and cook for 10 more minutes, or until the liquid has been absorbed and the quinoa is fluffy. In another pan, heat the remaining 1 tsp of oil over medium heat. Toast the corn until it's a little bit charred. Put the greens in 2 big bowls, or on plates and top with the sliced chicken, quinoa, corn, orange, tomato and avocado. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and cilantro, then drizzle with the juice of the other half of the lemon and a little more honey.
I had some leftover salad from last night's dinner with mixed greens, carrots, celery and cucumber so I just used that. You can adjust the ingredients to whatever you like. If you want to swap the chicken for tofu, go for it. If you want to add black beans, I think that would be delicious. In fact, I wanted to add black beans, but I can't find my can opener and I don't have any that I cooked. If you want to leave out the orange because you think it's weird, be my guest. If you don't like cilantro (which is apparently a common thing that I just don't understand), leave it out. And maybe top it with some tortilla chips or toasted pumpkin seeds. This salad is your playground, my friends.
So freaking good. You can thank me later ;)
Sunday, January 12, 2014
Tis the Season... To Eat!
Depending on where you are in the country, you may be experiencing some wacky weather. What's even wackier is that there isn't much of a difference in what you find in the produce section of the grocery store. Pretty much any time of the year, you can find the same foods, even though they are not grown year round.
The way that happens is food is grown around the world, maybe tens of thousands of miles away. It gets picked when it's not quite ripe, then sprayed down with preservatives.Then it gets shipped to your grocery store. You may notice the food tastes a little off, the tomatoes aren't quite red. The berries are shriveled and a little lightly colored. That's because if the food is picked when it's ripe, it would go bad by the time it makes its way to grocery store shelves.
One way to ensure you are getting the freshest and best tasting food is to eat what is in season. Eating what is grown seasonally keeps your grocery costs down as well as reducing the carbon footprint it takes to get your food to your plate. Plus the food tastes way better! A great way to see what's in season near you is to check out the farmer's market and see what they have. (For all my fellow Las Vegans, there's one at the Whole Foods on Las Vegas Blvd every Friday from 3-7.)
If you can't make it to a farmer's market, you can check out this list I compiled. The list obviously varies by region, but I think it's pretty general for the U.S. at least. So here is a list of the foods that are in season each month:
January:
Apples, citrus (especially tangerines, blood oranges, clementines, grapefruit), pomegranates, pears, beets, brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, kale, leeks, potatoes, rhubarb, winter squashes (acorn, butternut)
February:
Bananas, citrus (blood oranges, lemons), pears, pineapple, pomegranate, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, chard, artichoke, parsnips, potatoes, spinach, turnips
March:
Bananas, blood oranges, lemons, kiwi, pomegranate, mangoes, rhubarb, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, leeks, green onions
April:
Asparagus, broccoli, kale, lettuce, radishes, rosemary, spinach, green onions, garlic
May:
Apricots, cherries, artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, carrots, new potatoes, radishes, spinach, watercress
June:
Apricots, cherries, melon, strawberries, asparagus, broccoli, carrots, fennel, lettuce, peas, watercress, zucchini
July:
Apricots, blackberries, blueberries, melons, nectarines, peaches, raspberries, strawberries, tomatoes, cucumber, fennel, green beans, lettuce, onions, peas, sage
August:
Apricots, blackberries, blueberries, melons, peaches, raspberries, tomatoes, basil, cucumber, green beans, kohlrabi, onions, peas, zucchini, eggplant
September:
Apples, blackberries, figs, grapes, melons, nectarines, peaches, pears, plums, tomatoes, beets, butternut squash, carrots, celery, cucumber, kale, leeks, peppers, radishes, corn, wild mushrooms
October:
Apples, figs, grapes, pears, tomatoes, butternut squash, celery, mushrooms, onions, potatoes, pumpkin, turnips, sweet potatoes
November:
Apples, cranberries, passionfruit, pears, artichoke, parsnips, potatoes, pumpkin, turnips, wild mushrooms, sweet potatoes
December:
Apples, clementines, cranberries, passionfruit, pears, pineapple, pomegranate, tangerines, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, celery, chicory, kale, leeks, parsnips, red cabbage, turnips
For a great seasonal salad, check out my previous post "Smart Swaps" from May 2012. It's a warm kale salad with all kinds of winter seasonal ingredients. (It's delicious any time of year, which is why I was making it in May.) Fruit salad with apples and citrus with some fresh mint chopped in is also yummy.
Let me know if you have any other seasonal recipes!
The way that happens is food is grown around the world, maybe tens of thousands of miles away. It gets picked when it's not quite ripe, then sprayed down with preservatives.Then it gets shipped to your grocery store. You may notice the food tastes a little off, the tomatoes aren't quite red. The berries are shriveled and a little lightly colored. That's because if the food is picked when it's ripe, it would go bad by the time it makes its way to grocery store shelves.
One way to ensure you are getting the freshest and best tasting food is to eat what is in season. Eating what is grown seasonally keeps your grocery costs down as well as reducing the carbon footprint it takes to get your food to your plate. Plus the food tastes way better! A great way to see what's in season near you is to check out the farmer's market and see what they have. (For all my fellow Las Vegans, there's one at the Whole Foods on Las Vegas Blvd every Friday from 3-7.)
If you can't make it to a farmer's market, you can check out this list I compiled. The list obviously varies by region, but I think it's pretty general for the U.S. at least. So here is a list of the foods that are in season each month:
January:
Apples, citrus (especially tangerines, blood oranges, clementines, grapefruit), pomegranates, pears, beets, brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, kale, leeks, potatoes, rhubarb, winter squashes (acorn, butternut)
February:
Bananas, citrus (blood oranges, lemons), pears, pineapple, pomegranate, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, chard, artichoke, parsnips, potatoes, spinach, turnips
March:
Bananas, blood oranges, lemons, kiwi, pomegranate, mangoes, rhubarb, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, leeks, green onions
April:
Asparagus, broccoli, kale, lettuce, radishes, rosemary, spinach, green onions, garlic
May:
Apricots, cherries, artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, carrots, new potatoes, radishes, spinach, watercress
June:
Apricots, cherries, melon, strawberries, asparagus, broccoli, carrots, fennel, lettuce, peas, watercress, zucchini
July:
Apricots, blackberries, blueberries, melons, nectarines, peaches, raspberries, strawberries, tomatoes, cucumber, fennel, green beans, lettuce, onions, peas, sage
August:
Apricots, blackberries, blueberries, melons, peaches, raspberries, tomatoes, basil, cucumber, green beans, kohlrabi, onions, peas, zucchini, eggplant
September:
Apples, blackberries, figs, grapes, melons, nectarines, peaches, pears, plums, tomatoes, beets, butternut squash, carrots, celery, cucumber, kale, leeks, peppers, radishes, corn, wild mushrooms
October:
Apples, figs, grapes, pears, tomatoes, butternut squash, celery, mushrooms, onions, potatoes, pumpkin, turnips, sweet potatoes
November:
Apples, cranberries, passionfruit, pears, artichoke, parsnips, potatoes, pumpkin, turnips, wild mushrooms, sweet potatoes
December:
Apples, clementines, cranberries, passionfruit, pears, pineapple, pomegranate, tangerines, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, celery, chicory, kale, leeks, parsnips, red cabbage, turnips
For a great seasonal salad, check out my previous post "Smart Swaps" from May 2012. It's a warm kale salad with all kinds of winter seasonal ingredients. (It's delicious any time of year, which is why I was making it in May.) Fruit salad with apples and citrus with some fresh mint chopped in is also yummy.
Let me know if you have any other seasonal recipes!
Saturday, January 4, 2014
Happy New Year!
Hey guess who's back!?
...
Me :)
It's a new year which means review last year and figure out how this year is going to be better. Let me just say, 2013 was filled with some highs and some lows. I have mixed feelings about this year, especially today because it is exactly six months since we lost such a sweet kid and part of our family. But I am thankful to have had him in my life and to celebrate his. <3
A new year is always filled with resolutions and people wanting to get healthier. And I am no different. However, my resolution is not just for myself, but for you too! I have many resolutions, but the one I know I can and will stick to is to not let this blog disappear for months again. I promise to update at least once a week from now on.
I definitely fell off the healthy wagon this year. Uh, by the way, I'm not a vegetarian anymore. Oops. Also, I haven't really been cooking very much. I got a little part time job or something like that, so I have been really busy. Not that that's an excuse. And by the time I get home from working all day, I'm so tired that I haven't been working out either. So basically my healthy life is nonexistent. I think everyone gets off track every once in awhile, but this is OUT OF CONTROL.
Anyway, I have a plan to make sure that 2014 is healthier and happier than 2013. Here are my resolutions and how I plan on keeping them.
1. Keep up with my blog. I'll be accomplishing this by setting aside Saturday afternoons to write a post. I don't usually tutor on Saturdays so I should have extra time to get this done. I also have a little list in my phone of ideas to write about whenever inspiration strikes me.
2. Make sure I eat healthy meals. The hardest part of this is not being prepared when I'm running around all day and I'm not home for 15 hours at a time. So I need to work on having something with me all the time, so I don't have to stop and buy something crappy. I do have stuff that I make in bulk and freeze, but I am not so good at bringing it with me. I just need to work on getting it ready the night before and always having something healthy. Plus I got the most amazing kitchen gadgets to motivate me to make healthy stuff.
3. Get some kind of exercise 5 times a week. This goes back to being prepared. Making sure I have my gym bag with me everyday will make me more likely to hit the gym or yoga on my way home. Even if I don't make it to the gym, just going for a run, or doing a simple workout at home would suffice. And now that it's warming up a little, I might be a little more willing to go for a jog.
4. Create a budget and actually stick to it. I don't just need to get my body healthy, but my bank account to. It's been sick for awhile now. Now that I'm writing these out, I'm sensing a trend. I need to work on preparedness. Stopping every day to buy food is not doing good things for my wallet. I've written out a budget and I need to make sure I pay my bills right when I get paid and make saving another mandatory bill.
5. Be more positive. I find myself being a whiny, complainy bitch sometimes, and that just needs to stop. Looking at the glass half full will make me and the people around me much happier. So this year, I'm going to make a conscious decision of the words that I choose and try to see the good things more clearly.
I think five is plenty of resolutions to have and hopefully it will help other parts of my life to fall together as well. What are your resolutions? What do you want to do this year? Let me know and also if you have anything you'd like me to write about!
...
Me :)
It's a new year which means review last year and figure out how this year is going to be better. Let me just say, 2013 was filled with some highs and some lows. I have mixed feelings about this year, especially today because it is exactly six months since we lost such a sweet kid and part of our family. But I am thankful to have had him in my life and to celebrate his. <3
A new year is always filled with resolutions and people wanting to get healthier. And I am no different. However, my resolution is not just for myself, but for you too! I have many resolutions, but the one I know I can and will stick to is to not let this blog disappear for months again. I promise to update at least once a week from now on.
I definitely fell off the healthy wagon this year. Uh, by the way, I'm not a vegetarian anymore. Oops. Also, I haven't really been cooking very much. I got a little part time job or something like that, so I have been really busy. Not that that's an excuse. And by the time I get home from working all day, I'm so tired that I haven't been working out either. So basically my healthy life is nonexistent. I think everyone gets off track every once in awhile, but this is OUT OF CONTROL.
Anyway, I have a plan to make sure that 2014 is healthier and happier than 2013. Here are my resolutions and how I plan on keeping them.
1. Keep up with my blog. I'll be accomplishing this by setting aside Saturday afternoons to write a post. I don't usually tutor on Saturdays so I should have extra time to get this done. I also have a little list in my phone of ideas to write about whenever inspiration strikes me.
2. Make sure I eat healthy meals. The hardest part of this is not being prepared when I'm running around all day and I'm not home for 15 hours at a time. So I need to work on having something with me all the time, so I don't have to stop and buy something crappy. I do have stuff that I make in bulk and freeze, but I am not so good at bringing it with me. I just need to work on getting it ready the night before and always having something healthy. Plus I got the most amazing kitchen gadgets to motivate me to make healthy stuff.
3. Get some kind of exercise 5 times a week. This goes back to being prepared. Making sure I have my gym bag with me everyday will make me more likely to hit the gym or yoga on my way home. Even if I don't make it to the gym, just going for a run, or doing a simple workout at home would suffice. And now that it's warming up a little, I might be a little more willing to go for a jog.
4. Create a budget and actually stick to it. I don't just need to get my body healthy, but my bank account to. It's been sick for awhile now. Now that I'm writing these out, I'm sensing a trend. I need to work on preparedness. Stopping every day to buy food is not doing good things for my wallet. I've written out a budget and I need to make sure I pay my bills right when I get paid and make saving another mandatory bill.
5. Be more positive. I find myself being a whiny, complainy bitch sometimes, and that just needs to stop. Looking at the glass half full will make me and the people around me much happier. So this year, I'm going to make a conscious decision of the words that I choose and try to see the good things more clearly.
I think five is plenty of resolutions to have and hopefully it will help other parts of my life to fall together as well. What are your resolutions? What do you want to do this year? Let me know and also if you have anything you'd like me to write about!
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Zucchini Lentil Burgers
Hi again!! It's been a very busy couple of weeks, but don't worry, I have a couple of recipes coming at you soon. Today's inspiration came from my stomach. You know how you're never supposed to go to the grocery store hungry?? I went when I was starving. But luckily, I have been watching a ton of food documentaries lately, so I was able to resist temptation and only buy good food. I just bought a ton of it and couldn't stop thinking about what I was going to make when I got home. I'm trying to really clean up my diet and crack down on the gym (so far 0 for 2), so this is a super healthy, delicious meal that was actually pretty easy to make. So without further ado...
Zucchini Lentil Burgers
1/2 cup dry green lentils
1 1/2 cups water
1 zucchini, shredded
2 cups frozen spinach
1/4 cup oatmeal
3 tbsp flax seeds
1/4 tsp each salt and black pepper
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
In a medium saucepan, combine the lentils, the water, and the spices. Bring to a boil and then turn it down to a simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the frozen spinach and then simmer for another 5 minutes. The lentils should be tender and the water should mostly have evaporated now, but if not keep simmering until they are. In a food processor or blender, combine the oatmeal and flax seeds until they are a fine powder. Set aside. Then blend the lentil and spinach mixture. It doesn't have to be super smooth. I just pulsed mine a few times. This will look repulsive. I'm warning you now. Lentils are not pretty when they're blended, but get past it because it tastes delicious. Combine with the oatmeal mixture and the shredded zucchini. If you have any other veggies you want to sneak in there, feel free. I was thinking about adding carrots, but I didn't want the recipe to be too busy. Form into patties while you heat a pan over high heat. Spray your pan with some cooking spray or really lightly oil it so the burgers don't stick. I made my burgers about 4 inches wide and it made 8 patties, but make them whatever size you'd like. Cook in the pan for about 4 minutes on each side until they are lightly browned. Serve with one or both of the sauces below!
Mango Apple Chutney
1 ripe mango, diced
1 green apple, diced
1/4 small onion, diced
1/4 jalapeño, diced, seeds and ribs removed
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
juice of 1/2 lime
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp water
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and simmer over medium heat for about 15 minutes, or until the apple and onion are tender. You can use two mangoes instead of one mango and an apple, but I only had one, so I improvised. It worked out pretty well. If you don't like cilantro (then you're weird), you can substitute fresh mint.
Mint Yogurt Sauce
1 small container of Greek yogurt (pretty sure it was 8 oz. but not sure. It was the single serving one, whichever size that it)
2 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
salt and pepper to taste
Mix up all the ingredients and top your burger with it. Bam. That easy.
I used both sauces, because that's how I am, but it was delicious with either one alone.
Zucchini Lentil Burgers
1/2 cup dry green lentils
1 1/2 cups water
1 zucchini, shredded
2 cups frozen spinach
1/4 cup oatmeal
3 tbsp flax seeds
1/4 tsp each salt and black pepper
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
In a medium saucepan, combine the lentils, the water, and the spices. Bring to a boil and then turn it down to a simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the frozen spinach and then simmer for another 5 minutes. The lentils should be tender and the water should mostly have evaporated now, but if not keep simmering until they are. In a food processor or blender, combine the oatmeal and flax seeds until they are a fine powder. Set aside. Then blend the lentil and spinach mixture. It doesn't have to be super smooth. I just pulsed mine a few times. This will look repulsive. I'm warning you now. Lentils are not pretty when they're blended, but get past it because it tastes delicious. Combine with the oatmeal mixture and the shredded zucchini. If you have any other veggies you want to sneak in there, feel free. I was thinking about adding carrots, but I didn't want the recipe to be too busy. Form into patties while you heat a pan over high heat. Spray your pan with some cooking spray or really lightly oil it so the burgers don't stick. I made my burgers about 4 inches wide and it made 8 patties, but make them whatever size you'd like. Cook in the pan for about 4 minutes on each side until they are lightly browned. Serve with one or both of the sauces below!
Mango Apple Chutney
1 ripe mango, diced
1 green apple, diced
1/4 small onion, diced
1/4 jalapeño, diced, seeds and ribs removed
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
juice of 1/2 lime
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp water
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and simmer over medium heat for about 15 minutes, or until the apple and onion are tender. You can use two mangoes instead of one mango and an apple, but I only had one, so I improvised. It worked out pretty well. If you don't like cilantro (then you're weird), you can substitute fresh mint.
Mint Yogurt Sauce
1 small container of Greek yogurt (pretty sure it was 8 oz. but not sure. It was the single serving one, whichever size that it)
2 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
salt and pepper to taste
Mix up all the ingredients and top your burger with it. Bam. That easy.
I used both sauces, because that's how I am, but it was delicious with either one alone.
Hope you like it!!!
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Vegan Jackfruit Carnitas
Hi my name is Amanda, and I'm the worst blogger ever. I fall off the face of the Earth for weeks with no explanation, and then come back, begging for you all to forgive me. I'm so sorry! It's been a hectic couple of weeks for some reason and I just haven't been on top of my game. But I do promise to make it up to you right now with, not one, but two, spectacular recipes.
Nothing screams summer to me quite like Mexican food (and margaritas). Something about it being 8,000 degrees outside makes me want to cool off with spicy food. I don't know. Riddle me that. One of my favorite dishes used to be when my mom would make Spencer's carnitas. Spencer has since closed his amazing restaurant in Mexico, so her version is all we have left of the delicious, sweet, tender goodness. But, since I don't eat meat anymore, I have to drool from afar. Well, no longer my friends. I have made a vegan version!! Plus this version doesn't have any artificial ingredients. If you saw my recipe for jackfruit pulled "pork," this is similar.
P.S. You can get jackfruit at the Asian supermarket.
I felt that it needed a fresh little topping so I made a roasted corn and avocado relish. I hesitate to call it guacamole because a) I didn't mash the avocado, b) I hate tomatoes in my guacamole so I didn't want to contradict myself, and c) if it's not my mom's guac, well, it's not really guac at all. So I created a different name.
So here are my recipes. I hope you like them and you forgive me for being MIA, and you come back to me and my tasty treats.
Jackfruit Carnitas
2 cans young jackfruit in water (I used the ones in brine last time and they were too vinegary or something, so this came out much better)
1/2 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup maple syrup (the second time I made these, I used a little less maple and substituted with a little apricot preserves, you know, just because)
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp cayenne (cut back if you're crazy and don't like spicy)
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
Rinse and drain the jackfruit. Put it on your cutting board and chop it up into smaller pieces. It will shred when you cook it, but sometimes the middle pieces can be a bit finicky, so I do this as a precaution. Heat the oil in a large pot over high heat. Add the onion and sauté for a minute or so. Then add the rest of the ingredients. Stir it up so you cover all the jackfruit with the spices and the syrup. This will also help break up the jackfruit. After about 20 minutes, all the syrup and liquid will be absorbed. Keep cooking on high for another 10 minutes or so, stirring halfway through. This will get a little char on the jackfruit that's indicative of tasty carnitas. And that's it! Super easy.
Roasted Corn and Avocado Relish
1 ripe avocado
1 cup corn (I just used frozen)
1/4 cup cilantro
1/2 cup tomatoes, chopped (I used grape tomatoes and just halved them)
1/2 jalepeno (adjust to your spice preferences)
juice of 1 lemon
1 green onion
1 tsp oil
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
Heat the oil in a pan, over high heat. Throw the corn in there and get it a little toasty for about 10 minutes, stirring every once in awhile. You should start to see brown or black spots, meaning it's getting yummier. Dice the avocado and toss that in a bowl with the rest of the ingredients, including the corn. Mix very gently so you don't mash the avocado. Top your carnitas with this, or eat with a spoon. Whatever you please.
I made a little burrito with a whole wheat tortilla, some black beans warmed in the same pot as my carnitas, and the two dishes above. Yummy!!!
Nothing screams summer to me quite like Mexican food (and margaritas). Something about it being 8,000 degrees outside makes me want to cool off with spicy food. I don't know. Riddle me that. One of my favorite dishes used to be when my mom would make Spencer's carnitas. Spencer has since closed his amazing restaurant in Mexico, so her version is all we have left of the delicious, sweet, tender goodness. But, since I don't eat meat anymore, I have to drool from afar. Well, no longer my friends. I have made a vegan version!! Plus this version doesn't have any artificial ingredients. If you saw my recipe for jackfruit pulled "pork," this is similar.
P.S. You can get jackfruit at the Asian supermarket.
I felt that it needed a fresh little topping so I made a roasted corn and avocado relish. I hesitate to call it guacamole because a) I didn't mash the avocado, b) I hate tomatoes in my guacamole so I didn't want to contradict myself, and c) if it's not my mom's guac, well, it's not really guac at all. So I created a different name.
So here are my recipes. I hope you like them and you forgive me for being MIA, and you come back to me and my tasty treats.
Jackfruit Carnitas
2 cans young jackfruit in water (I used the ones in brine last time and they were too vinegary or something, so this came out much better)
1/2 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup maple syrup (the second time I made these, I used a little less maple and substituted with a little apricot preserves, you know, just because)
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp cayenne (cut back if you're crazy and don't like spicy)
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
Rinse and drain the jackfruit. Put it on your cutting board and chop it up into smaller pieces. It will shred when you cook it, but sometimes the middle pieces can be a bit finicky, so I do this as a precaution. Heat the oil in a large pot over high heat. Add the onion and sauté for a minute or so. Then add the rest of the ingredients. Stir it up so you cover all the jackfruit with the spices and the syrup. This will also help break up the jackfruit. After about 20 minutes, all the syrup and liquid will be absorbed. Keep cooking on high for another 10 minutes or so, stirring halfway through. This will get a little char on the jackfruit that's indicative of tasty carnitas. And that's it! Super easy.
Roasted Corn and Avocado Relish
1 ripe avocado
1 cup corn (I just used frozen)
1/4 cup cilantro
1/2 cup tomatoes, chopped (I used grape tomatoes and just halved them)
1/2 jalepeno (adjust to your spice preferences)
juice of 1 lemon
1 green onion
1 tsp oil
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
Heat the oil in a pan, over high heat. Throw the corn in there and get it a little toasty for about 10 minutes, stirring every once in awhile. You should start to see brown or black spots, meaning it's getting yummier. Dice the avocado and toss that in a bowl with the rest of the ingredients, including the corn. Mix very gently so you don't mash the avocado. Top your carnitas with this, or eat with a spoon. Whatever you please.
I made a little burrito with a whole wheat tortilla, some black beans warmed in the same pot as my carnitas, and the two dishes above. Yummy!!!
Enjoy with a margarita or two ;)
I promise to be better about posting from now on. Tell me you still love me??
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