Food Adventures: H&M Journey Onwards!

Hoorah! H. and I made it to Day 3 of our little eating experiment. We both had headaches over the weekend, which might be from sugar withdrawals or plain ol' allergies. However, yesterday I tried a new recipe for Chili-Citrus Chicken with Olives that cleared our sinuses, pronto. I'm sorry H. Three tablespoons of chili powder was more than our systems could handle. So much milk. I salvaged the meal by washing everything off and then mashing the potatoes with (more) milk. It worked, and we still have food for the rest of this week. I also cooked a pot of brown rice and lentils. It was a delicious accompaniment for the (washed off) chicken and olives with some feta cheese sprinkled on top.

Breakfast is my favourite meal these days. Eating sans ketchup is easier than I thought. Rather than mindlessly squeezing goopy red sauce onto my eggs, I try to consider what tastes I'm craving. Salt? Vinegar-y Tang? Sweetness? These flavours can be found non-ketchup foods, such as pan seared tomatoes with sea salt and Herbes de Provence. (My favourite!) Or even salsa works, too.

And eating French Toast without sugar or syrup gives me the chance to enjoy the texture and flavour of comforting eggy-bread. Not that toast ought to be bland, though. Cinnamon and nutmeg add flavour while applesauce, golden raisins, and Greek yogurt provide sweetness and creaminess. Maybe even some nuts for added crunch?

Of course, I won't kiss syrupy French Toast good bye. However, I am noticing that a decrease in processed sugars seems to (at least psychologically?) make my tummy feel better. And maybe, just maybe, those Ladies Magazines speak truth when they say cutting sugar might decrease cyclical discomfort (erm, PAIN. Really, really, really bad pain). It seems to be working for me, so I won't complain.

So here's to more (or hopefully no more) adventures with spices/chili powder, whole grains, new vegetables, and lots of apple sauce and frozen strawberries.

Cheers!

Food Adventures: Towards "Thoughtful Eating"

Today is the first day of "Thoughtful Eating" week. I must have eaten too many thoughts in my sleep since I dreamed that my mom put me in time out for eating chocolate pudding. Maybe I've been nannying lately. And maybe I was feeling just a little apprehensive about the whole "No Sugar and No White Flour" plan. (The word "No" continues to trouble me since I am probably still two years old at heart.) But after a good "reasoning conversation" with myself, I decided to go along with the project and make some breakfast.

Today's breakfast was whole wheat toast with strawberries and Greek yogurt sprinkled with chopped pistachios. Since the frozen strawberries were not very ripe, I diced and mixed them with a tablespoon of natural orange juice. Just the right amount of sweetness and tang. I didn't even need the honey. They paired well with the creamy yogurt, and the pistachios provided the perfect crunch. And whole wheat toast? Nutty and, well, very "dark" tasting. (Does that make any sense?) Dark from the toast complimented the lightness of the yogurt and the sharpness of the berries. Mmm. Is it silly to say that pistachios taste "like the woods"? I've never eaten "the woods", but if I ever do, I hope they taste like pistachios.

It was a very satisfying breakfast: colorful, not too heavy or too light tasting/feeling, a range of different textures, and even healthy by the textbook definition!

Maybe breakfast was even better because I woke up early in the morning and ate by the fireplace.

I'm just glad to know that tastes such as "sweet" or "rich" are not my enemies. Sugar and white flour aren't even my enemies. Instead, it's rather like I'm going on a culinary vacation and leaving familiar ingredients behind. Who knew that strawberries and orange tasted so delicious together? Well, probably most people. But I didn't know until this morning.

Happy eating!

Pre-Winter Projects

Well, it's officially "late November" now and the poor trees look sparse and spindly. I love walking on Country Roads since the goldeny-crimson leaves "crunch, crunch, crunch" beneath your feet.

 

 

Walking is an excellent remedy for self-inflicted "Restless Funks".

Little "Projects" are also good remedies. 

This week I've given myself the task of cooking and eating only what's readily available at home. Lucky for me, H. and I have a well stocked pantry and freezer! And maybe, just maybe, I made one last shopping trip to buy some quinoa and squash today. And chocolate.

We'll see how it goes! I'll probably post pictures and recipes this week.

Cheerio!

Culinary Adventures of H. and E: Italian--Of the One Pot Gooey Squishy Variety

This week, H. and I ventured into the world of Cooking-Pots-Of-Somethings-For-An-Unknown-Length-Of-Time-To-Produce-Unknown-Results.

Or more simply put: we decided to try recipes we've never tried before.

Risotto has always been a great mystery to me. I grew up in a household where cooking rice was only a matter of closing the lid and pushing the right button. Rice served as an accompaniment, but never the main course itself. And what was with all of this stirring?

Moreover, a failed risotto experience from the past made me doubt that the highly praised "Arborio Rice" could produce anything other than a sticky yet crunchy mess. 

I was more than happy to be proven wrong.

H. and I asked, and the Risotto delivered excellent results!

We opted to omit the peas,

And double the spinach. Hoorah!

(Sorry for the horrid picture lighting.)

Risotto!

Comfortingly gooey and delicious. 

H. and I supped well that evening. 

Later in the week, we decided to roast the leftover heirloom baby tomatoes and use them in Frittata. 

(Pre-Broiling)

Even though the above picture looks rather unappetizing, the Frittata broiled beautifully, 

And again, we had another splendid supper.