This and other posts today are from my other blog. The camera batteries are charging away. And until my real time photos are back, hope someone decides to try one of the recipes posted!
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Breakfast: Italy
Does this pizza in Italy look amazing?!! It tastes even better. I had leftovers of this one morning in Mola di Bari. Arugula is my new best food friend.
This and other posts today are from my other blog. The camera batteries are charging away. And until my real time photos are back, hope someone decides to try one of the recipes posted!
This and other posts today are from my other blog. The camera batteries are charging away. And until my real time photos are back, hope someone decides to try one of the recipes posted!
Lunch: Roasted Brocolli
Camera battery = charging = lifting from my other blog
Cut broccoli in spears, spread on baking sheet, pour olive oil to coat the broccoli and add minced garlic (fresh or I use the kind that you can buy in a jar at Costco).
Put in 400 degree oven. Check in 15-20 min. And done. (Also, add fresh parmesan, if desired).
I'm not a foodie. Never have been, never will be. But I did spend summers with my Grandmother who was. Italian style. Turns out, I can cook.
So this dish is so simple and DELICIOUS.
You can also use the same "recipe" with red potatoes.
Cut broccoli in spears, spread on baking sheet, pour olive oil to coat the broccoli and add minced garlic (fresh or I use the kind that you can buy in a jar at Costco).
Put in 400 degree oven. Check in 15-20 min. And done. (Also, add fresh parmesan, if desired).
I'm not a foodie. Never have been, never will be. But I did spend summers with my Grandmother who was. Italian style. Turns out, I can cook.
So this dish is so simple and DELICIOUS.
You can also use the same "recipe" with red potatoes.
Dinner: Tuscan Bean Soup
My camera's batteries are charging right now. So I lifted a post from my other blog. Hope you love this recipe.
This soup is delicious. I promise you, it'll knock your socks off. It's one of those dishes where you don't realize or you forget just how tasty it is until you take that first bite. I haven't made it in awhile and am going to make it tonight. This big pot lasts us about 3 or 4 days in my house. Crusty bread and sliced apples or crusty bread and a bowl of berries are excellent side dishes to this soup. And is it a soup?? I don't know about that. It "eats like a meal". And sorry for the 80's reference, I can't think of anything creative right now. My head is exploding with love for our Capitol, which is where Ti and I have been the last week. We're in love with Washington, D.C.
The recipe might seem daunting at first because of all the chopping. At least it did for me. But ultimately, it's a dump and cook recipe. See all those beans? With the red potato and the barley? I can't find the spinach in these photos but it's in there! . . . Come to think of it, maybe I forgot to add it in this batch but it's great with the spinach.
Tuscan Bean Soup
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped, including some of the greens
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil ( I end up using triple that. Just keepin' it real).
1 tablespoon of flour (can omit if gluten-free)
1 tablespoon of rosemary leaves or 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary (I used dry and the teaspoon is overflowing)
1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme (again, overflow)
1 large bay leaf
black pepper to taste
4-14.5 ounce cans organic chicken broth (I like the salt. You can use reduced salt and it will still be flavorful)
1 cup frozen baby lime beans, rinsed (not a science. I throw the whole frozen package in)
1 15oz can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 15oz can red beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup barley, uncooked (brown rice for gluten-free)
1 medium red potato cut into cubes (I used three)
2 sliced carrots
1 cup packed, slivered spinach leaves
In a large saucepan, saute the onion, celery, and garlic in the oil 2 to 3 minutes; stir in the flour, herbs, garlic, and pepper, and saute until the onions are tender. Add the chicken broth, beans, and tomato paste to the saucepan; heat to boiling. Add the barley, potato, and carrots. Return to a low simmer, and cook for 25 minutes. Stir in spinach. Cook for 5 minutes more. Remove from heat and fish out bay leaf!!
I hope hope hope somebody out there tries this and shares in the joy!!
This soup is delicious. I promise you, it'll knock your socks off. It's one of those dishes where you don't realize or you forget just how tasty it is until you take that first bite. I haven't made it in awhile and am going to make it tonight. This big pot lasts us about 3 or 4 days in my house. Crusty bread and sliced apples or crusty bread and a bowl of berries are excellent side dishes to this soup. And is it a soup?? I don't know about that. It "eats like a meal". And sorry for the 80's reference, I can't think of anything creative right now. My head is exploding with love for our Capitol, which is where Ti and I have been the last week. We're in love with Washington, D.C.
The recipe might seem daunting at first because of all the chopping. At least it did for me. But ultimately, it's a dump and cook recipe. See all those beans? With the red potato and the barley? I can't find the spinach in these photos but it's in there! . . . Come to think of it, maybe I forgot to add it in this batch but it's great with the spinach.
Tuscan Bean Soup1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped, including some of the greens
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil ( I end up using triple that. Just keepin' it real).
1 tablespoon of flour (can omit if gluten-free)
1 tablespoon of rosemary leaves or 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary (I used dry and the teaspoon is overflowing)
1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme (again, overflow)
1 large bay leaf
black pepper to taste
4-14.5 ounce cans organic chicken broth (I like the salt. You can use reduced salt and it will still be flavorful)
1 cup frozen baby lime beans, rinsed (not a science. I throw the whole frozen package in)
1 15oz can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 15oz can red beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup barley, uncooked (brown rice for gluten-free)
1 medium red potato cut into cubes (I used three)
2 sliced carrots
1 cup packed, slivered spinach leaves
In a large saucepan, saute the onion, celery, and garlic in the oil 2 to 3 minutes; stir in the flour, herbs, garlic, and pepper, and saute until the onions are tender. Add the chicken broth, beans, and tomato paste to the saucepan; heat to boiling. Add the barley, potato, and carrots. Return to a low simmer, and cook for 25 minutes. Stir in spinach. Cook for 5 minutes more. Remove from heat and fish out bay leaf!!
I hope hope hope somebody out there tries this and shares in the joy!!
Friday, March 12, 2010
Breakfast: Coconut Chicken Curry
I told you we eat this frequently. And by frequently, I meant every single day until it runs out. Yes, we're into cooking ahead for the week, and eating leftovers, and reheating in our microwave, and using vinegar to clean our floors . . . huh? Oh, hush.
Lunch: McDonald's French Fries
Nope. Not proud of this at all. Took my nieces to McDonald's and all I can really eat there is fries. And now you're thinking, "Why did you even give into their request to go there?" And I'll go ahead and tell you this: It was my idea. No sugar, no dairy, no gluten. Sometimes a girl's gotta have somethin'. Bada ba ba baaaaa . . .
Dinner: BluNaFu Smoothie
I had to come up with a short, explanatory nickname because I have a feeling it's going to make several appearances to this blog.
OhMai!
Please tell me you have not forgotten about an awesome snack called popcorn! I had for a while. But each time I come back from a night time run, I'm always glad I remembered!
Breakfast: Smoothie That Eats Like a Sorbet
Doesn't this smoothie look delicious already??
That was suppose to be a joke. Actually, the smoothie will be incredible. Just ask my first post to this blog!!
So you add about 1/4 block of that tofu up there and half of a semi-thawed banana to your food processor. My mistake yesterday morning was adding a banana that was completely frozen. I say mistake but it was a fortuitous one.
Okay, so add a cup of berries below
And pulse away!! The issue with the banana being too frozen is that I'm probably that much closer to dulling my blades. I won't be doing that again but the results were worth it.
The frozen banana with the extremely cold berries turned this mutha into a sorbet.
That's the spoon right there sitting on the smoothie. And this was an awesome way to start the day.
That was suppose to be a joke. Actually, the smoothie will be incredible. Just ask my first post to this blog!!So you add about 1/4 block of that tofu up there and half of a semi-thawed banana to your food processor. My mistake yesterday morning was adding a banana that was completely frozen. I say mistake but it was a fortuitous one.
Okay, so add a cup of berries below
And pulse away!! The issue with the banana being too frozen is that I'm probably that much closer to dulling my blades. I won't be doing that again but the results were worth it.
The frozen banana with the extremely cold berries turned this mutha into a sorbet.
That's the spoon right there sitting on the smoothie. And this was an awesome way to start the day.
Lunch: Corn tortilla, beans, salsa
Had this every morning for quite some time. But I had it for lunch yesterday. I love this quick and easy breakfast.
Just warm up a corn tortilla in a small pan.
Okay, try not to gross out about using canned refried beans. They're easy, spreadable, and healthy. Also, we don't need a lick of butter at our home. Can you say the same? I use the kind with jalapeno in them.
If you got the beans out of a container in your fridge like I did, you might want to heat the tortilla and beans in your microwave for 20 seconds.
Then add this:
Sprinkle some freeze dried cilantro. Yes, freeze dried. I'm not about to advocate for non-fresh here. But I have been totally unimpressed with cilantro on the island. I live forever away from anywhere that might sell the good stuff, so freeze dried is the next best thing. Actually, the next best thing would be to grow my own. And the reasons I don't are for another time and another day. ( I kill herbs).
Rant over. For today.
Anyway, you can add cheese ( I didn't because I don't do dairy so this is a dairy-free blog. . . Did I not mention that? Oh, and it's a gluten-free one too. Full disclosure here. Full disclosure.) or avocado ( I didn't because I didn't have any on hand but when I do, I'ma try a cacao avocado shake. Yes. Yes, I am).
But I like this meal exactly like this. Well, ok, I LOVE it exactly like this. I eat two and I'm full and good to go for the next 4 hours. Try it. (Gosh, I'm bossy).
Just warm up a corn tortilla in a small pan.
Okay, try not to gross out about using canned refried beans. They're easy, spreadable, and healthy. Also, we don't need a lick of butter at our home. Can you say the same? I use the kind with jalapeno in them.
If you got the beans out of a container in your fridge like I did, you might want to heat the tortilla and beans in your microwave for 20 seconds.Then add this:
Sprinkle some freeze dried cilantro. Yes, freeze dried. I'm not about to advocate for non-fresh here. But I have been totally unimpressed with cilantro on the island. I live forever away from anywhere that might sell the good stuff, so freeze dried is the next best thing. Actually, the next best thing would be to grow my own. And the reasons I don't are for another time and another day. ( I kill herbs).Rant over. For today.
Anyway, you can add cheese ( I didn't because I don't do dairy so this is a dairy-free blog. . . Did I not mention that? Oh, and it's a gluten-free one too. Full disclosure here. Full disclosure.) or avocado ( I didn't because I didn't have any on hand but when I do, I'ma try a cacao avocado shake. Yes. Yes, I am).
But I like this meal exactly like this. Well, ok, I LOVE it exactly like this. I eat two and I'm full and good to go for the next 4 hours. Try it. (Gosh, I'm bossy).
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Dinner: Coconut Chicken Curry
This dish is a staple in our home. It's good for breakfast (before a workout), lunch, and dinner.
Throw some chopped onion, garlic, and pepper (any color. I chose yellow)
Saute until onion are soft.
Throw in some chicken. We do this brand. Yes, chicken breast is better than the thigh. However, I can't find organic boneless, skinless, breasts so it's a trade off that our family is willing to make.
Add salt. And how cute is this salt container? Tevita got for me from Vancouver, Cananda years ago.
Ok, you'll notice the photo below does not have chicken. I actually cooked the chicken through, took it out of the pan to chop it up, and while it was chopping, I cooked the curry. Yes, that's the OHMAI part of this day: saute your curry in the initial steps of making this dish. Curry's got to be cooked. I did not know this until a couple of years ago! I used a .99 packet of curry in this dish but I finally found a curry at a local store!! One that I'm going to love!! Can't wait to try it.
Add chopped tomato. Or a can of crushed tomato. Or two cans of tomato sauce. I used 3 tomatoes from the farmer's market.
After you've added the tomoato and then the chicken, add coconut milk. This stuff is dangerous. But it's fantastic in smaller portions.
And there ya go! That's the basic recipe.
It should look like this:
I had a baked potato in the fridge so I added it.
I remembered I had some brocolli that needed to be used, so it got thrown in too.
So let it sit on low for about 30 min or until the veggies are cooked.
Hmmm . . . I really should've put this on a green plate. But I promise it was delicious. You can put it on brown rice or polenta, in some naan, flat bread, or eat it exactly the way I did: in a bowl, by itself.
Hope you enjoy!
Throw some chopped onion, garlic, and pepper (any color. I chose yellow)
Saute until onion are soft.Throw in some chicken. We do this brand. Yes, chicken breast is better than the thigh. However, I can't find organic boneless, skinless, breasts so it's a trade off that our family is willing to make.
Add salt. And how cute is this salt container? Tevita got for me from Vancouver, Cananda years ago.
Ok, you'll notice the photo below does not have chicken. I actually cooked the chicken through, took it out of the pan to chop it up, and while it was chopping, I cooked the curry. Yes, that's the OHMAI part of this day: saute your curry in the initial steps of making this dish. Curry's got to be cooked. I did not know this until a couple of years ago! I used a .99 packet of curry in this dish but I finally found a curry at a local store!! One that I'm going to love!! Can't wait to try it.
Add chopped tomato. Or a can of crushed tomato. Or two cans of tomato sauce. I used 3 tomatoes from the farmer's market.
After you've added the tomoato and then the chicken, add coconut milk. This stuff is dangerous. But it's fantastic in smaller portions.
And there ya go! That's the basic recipe.
It should look like this:
I had a baked potato in the fridge so I added it.
I remembered I had some brocolli that needed to be used, so it got thrown in too.So let it sit on low for about 30 min or until the veggies are cooked.
Hmmm . . . I really should've put this on a green plate. But I promise it was delicious. You can put it on brown rice or polenta, in some naan, flat bread, or eat it exactly the way I did: in a bowl, by itself.Hope you enjoy!
TofuBlueberryBananaTortillaBeansLongRiceSorbet
Our photo wire thingy is in Tevita's office and until it's back later on today, I can't post what was for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!
Which is what this blog is about. Nothing fancy, just some food items that I've had to create out of necessity. I won't go into detail about the "necessity" part because how gross is the word gastrointestinal?? Just saying it makes my stomach churn. Get it? Gastrointestinal, stomach churn?? har har.
Anyway, there's a tofu berry banana smoothie that I accidentally made into a sorbet. Photos soon, but I think you might love it. And it cost a total of 1.50 to make. And it's two big servings! And it's only like . . . well, ok, if I start down the path of counting calories and adding up costs it might lead to me doing more work than I want to. Suffice it to say this smoothie/sorbet is cheap and healthy and so so good! That's saying a lot for me, by the way, because tofu is irritating. I get irritated by tofu like I do with mini vans that are double parked in a packed lot. Or like I do with haoles who dress all granola and earthy with the dreads and the tie dye and the birkenstocks, and then they go and USE BRAND NEW PLASTIC GROCERY BAGS. Get a life, wash your feet, and take care of the Aina, dirty teethed people!
Ahem . . . This is how irritating tofu is. . . And yet this smoothie/sorbet is quite delicious. It's one of those "I'll eat it everyday till I get sick of it and find a new obsession" kind of delicious. I did the same with hummus. I ate it three times a day for a year and I can only hope this smoothie will go the distance with me as well. It's packed with protein, it's low cal, and it absorbs most flavors fairly easily.
So until I get to posting pics, please take my word for it! (and malama aina)
Which is what this blog is about. Nothing fancy, just some food items that I've had to create out of necessity. I won't go into detail about the "necessity" part because how gross is the word gastrointestinal?? Just saying it makes my stomach churn. Get it? Gastrointestinal, stomach churn?? har har.
Anyway, there's a tofu berry banana smoothie that I accidentally made into a sorbet. Photos soon, but I think you might love it. And it cost a total of 1.50 to make. And it's two big servings! And it's only like . . . well, ok, if I start down the path of counting calories and adding up costs it might lead to me doing more work than I want to. Suffice it to say this smoothie/sorbet is cheap and healthy and so so good! That's saying a lot for me, by the way, because tofu is irritating. I get irritated by tofu like I do with mini vans that are double parked in a packed lot. Or like I do with haoles who dress all granola and earthy with the dreads and the tie dye and the birkenstocks, and then they go and USE BRAND NEW PLASTIC GROCERY BAGS. Get a life, wash your feet, and take care of the Aina, dirty teethed people!
Ahem . . . This is how irritating tofu is. . . And yet this smoothie/sorbet is quite delicious. It's one of those "I'll eat it everyday till I get sick of it and find a new obsession" kind of delicious. I did the same with hummus. I ate it three times a day for a year and I can only hope this smoothie will go the distance with me as well. It's packed with protein, it's low cal, and it absorbs most flavors fairly easily.
So until I get to posting pics, please take my word for it! (and malama aina)
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