Food For Thought

Julia Child started cooking because she liked to eat, and because she loved her husband Paul. There was no rhyme or reason to it, she just didn't want to have nothing to do while she and her husband were stationed in France. And look at how successful she became. I feel like we lose sight of that sometimes in the craziness that is our everyday lives. She once said, "Find something you're passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it." What is that something? For me it's cooking and journalism. What's your something?

         "...nothing is too much trouble if it turns out the way it should."

Back To Basics

Growing up in a generation where everything is so fast paced sometimes makes my head spin. Now a days it is rare that a family sits at a dinner table to eat together and converse about various subjects, or that people get a chance to eat a good home cooked meal. What happened? I'm not sure exactly, but what I do know is that I am so greatful that my family still makes it a point to stay connected. As my older sister and I begin to think about moving out of our parents' house someday and starting our own families, there is such a comfort in knowing that we can always come back and catch up around the table. We ought to take the time to go back to the basics, and rediscover who we are, and I think that one of the best ways to do that is through food. I want to get old family recipes and cook my way through my family's history. It's a new spin on the movie Julie and Julia. I'm not sure where to begin, but I think the best way to start is at the beginning.

Simple Solutions: Part III

I have finished the fast. 10 days with no meat. Was it a challenge? Not really. Could I do it again? Absolutely. I must admit, I have missed eating chicken, and having the option of eating a burger (although I rarely do), but in order for me to be the best me that I can be, I have to balance my diet. I am making a lifestyle choice. I am choosing to eat a vegetarian diet every other month.

Some random thoughts for you:

I have learned to enjoy eating more vegetables.

I have enhanced my cooking skills, by not using meat.

I have learned that flavor, taste and texture do not have to be comprised just because meat is not part of the equation.

Surprisingly, I was just as full just eating vegetables, as I would be had I been eating meat.

My favorite meal that I had while I was on my fast was a whole grain tomato, basil and mozzarella flat bread from Cosi.

Simple Solutions Part II: Hearty Veggie Wrap

I'm on day four of my no meat diet and I'm doing well with it. I'm excited about the possibilities that this will give me. Even though I'm not eating meat, my diet didn't change as much as I thought it would; the only difference is that now I'm eating the right foods, with the right mindset and the right perspective. I've found that I am just as full as I would be if I were eating a cheeseburger or a steak and cheese (yum!!).

The first thing on my menu was starting my day off with prayer.

Next: Hearty Veggie Wrap

What You'll Need:
 diced mushrooms
 chopped green onions
1 medium diced tomato
1 medium green pepper
 chopped fresh spinach
2 tsps of garlic salt
2 tbs of extra virgin olive oil
egg whites
pack of tortillas
1 tbs of unsalted butter


Let's Get Cooking!

Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat and drizzle the olive oil into the pan. Once heated, saute the mushrooms, spinach, green pepper, tomato, and green onions. Add the garlic salt next and mix in with the vegetables then pour in the egg whites and mix again until the egg whites are cooked all the way through. After the vegetables and egg whites are cooked keep on low heat.  Use another non-stick pan and melt the butter, then place the tortilla until it gets lightly golden on each side then remove and put on a plate and start to put the wrap together. Add the egg white mixture into the center of the tortilla then fold the tortilla horizontally first, then vertically and tuck the sides in. Eat and Enjoy

Bon Appetit!

Simple Solutions Part I

As a Christian, I have come to understand that my body is a temple for the Lord Jesus Christ, it is not my own. With this understanding in the forefront of my mind, I realize that I need to treat my body as such. In order for me to live a healthy life, and not be just another statistic of African-American women, I have to start making smart, and simple solutions for myself. Loosing weight doesn't mean going on crash diets, or overdoing it at the gym. It's a choice. It is finding a balance between eating correctly and maintaining  your body physically through exercise of physical activity. I used to think that I was fat all the time and I was disgusted with what I saw when I looked in the mirror, but my mindset was that I thought it would be to hard to change. Now that I'm older and more knowledgeable about health risks, and healthy living I am more determined to be the healthiest that I can be, both spiritually and physically. I will feed my spirit with the Word of God, and I will tone my body with exercise, and feed my body with the right foods. This combination is bound to work because the Lord is the first thing on my menu. When I put Him first, He's leading me and I steadily follow Him in the right direction.
I am challenging myself to 10 days with no meat starting today. It was a little scary for me at first but then I thought to myself, no meat doesn't mean no flavor right? I can still have all of the flavors that I enjoy and have grown accustomed to, in a new way.

This is going to be a series of blog posts of my 10 day journey with a no meat diet. If all goes well, I'll make another blog that is devoted solely to healthy living and healthy eating from a Christian's perspective

Summer Sensation

The kitchen is my blank canvas,  the food that I cook is my inspiration, and the spices in my cupboard are my pallet and the finished product is a work of art! I cook with chicken a lot because it's easy and there are so many ways to cook, and season it. I had an idea and I ran with it. Stuffed chicken breasts are normally a more upscale dish, and they can be stuffed with anything. Tonight was no exception. Here is the recipe...

Stuffed Chicken Breast
Serving Size: 4
Note: You can easily make this meal for more people

Perfect Partner: Jasmine Rice

What You'll Need
4  boneless and skinless chicken breasts
1 bag of  fresh spinach
2 large tomatoes
1 medium sized onion
1 cup of mozzerella cheese
2 tsp of salt
1 tbs of oregano
2 tsps of pepper
1 1/2 tbs of minced garlic
olive oil

The Prep:
Wash spinach under cold water
Dice tomatoes and season with 1 tablespoon of oregano, 2 tsps of salt and 2 tsps of pepper. Mix together in a bowl

Here's what you'll have to do:

Slit an opening into each of the chicken breasts,  lightly coat the meat with olive oil then season with season salt, pepper, and garlic salt.  Drizzle olive oil in a non-stick or cast iron pan over medium heat. When the pan is heated place the chicken breast in the pan and lightly brown then remove them and place on a baking sheet. Lightly coat a non stick pan with olive oil and add the rinsed spinach to the pan along with the tablespoon of minced garlic, 1 tsp of pepper, and 1 1/2 tsp of garlic salt. When the spinach mixture reduces remove from the skillet and place in a bowl.  Next, lightly soften the diced onions over medium heat, and add to the diced tomatoes. Preheat oven to 350 degree. Create an assembly line starting with the tomato-onion mixture, then the spinach, and lastly the cheese stuff each chicken breast and wrap kitchen twine to keep the mixture inside the breast while it cooks. Put the chicken into the pre heated oven and let it cook for an hour checking periodically. When the allotted time has past eat and enjoy! Serve Hot

Bon appetit

Simple and Flavorful

One of the most wonderful things about cooking is that you have the freedom to create whatever you'd like in the comfort of your own kitchen. Each ingredient is an expression of your unique style and taste. I like cooking all types of dishes, but my favorite thing to cook is Italian cuisine. Over the years I have fallen in love with the authentic herbs such as parsley, oregano, basil, thyme, and rosemary, the art, the history, the culture, and the flavor of Italy. So, in my kitchen I like to take Italian inspired dishes, and put a twist on them to make them more complementary to my style of cooking.

Today, I was inspired to create a meal that was simple, full of flavor, and healthy to eat and came up with this dish:

Piccola Farfalle (Little Butterflies)

What you'll need:
Farfalle Pasta
1 medium sized  (red or yellow) onion
2 tbs of Italian seasoning
2 tbs of (dried or fresh) parsley
2 tbs of dried red crushed pepper
2 tsp of black pepper
1 tsp of salt
1 block of extra sharp cheddar cheese
2 tbs of  unsalted butter
1 bag of fresh spinach
3 tbs Classico brand mushroom and ripe olives pasta sauce

Directions:

What you want to do first is bring a medium sized pot of water to a boil. Note: Be sure to drizzle some extra virgin olive oil in the pot of water as well to make sure that the pasta doesn't stick to the pot. Once the water comes to a rolling boil, pour the box of farfalle pasta into the pot. Allow the pasta to cook for approximately 8-10 minutes or until tender. When the allotted time for the pasta is complete, drain the pasta, while running cold water over top of it to stop the pasta from cooking. Once drained, return the pasta to the pot. To the pasta add the salt and pepper along with one tablespoon of the butter over a low heat. Continue by adding the parsley,Italian seasoning, and red crushed peppers. Stir these ingredients first to make sure all of the pasta is coated. To this add the pasta sauce. Note: This is not a spaghetti dish what you are looking for here is a light pasta sauce coating over the faralle noodles. Add the roughly chopped onion to the mix, along with the spinach and shaved extra sharp cheddar to go over top of the pasta. Stir the mixture again, and allow the cheese to melt completely. Serve hot.

This meal is simple, but full of vibrant flavors, plus a little bit of kick, and it's super easy to make.

Bon Appetit