Comedy

Lol

Say KEEN-WA

We tried quinoa for the first time last week since we've been hearing its really healthy. We bought it at our local grocery store and had to ask one of the employees on where to find it.

Me: Excuse me, where can I find quinoa?
Worker: What do you need?
Me: Quinoa.
W: Keeeen-wa? How do you spell it?
Me: Q U I N O A
W: What's that?!
M: It's a small grain
W: hmm..let me ask someone

After asking 3 people while one person looked for it, we ended up finding it ourselves. It was in the rice aisle. We couldn't spot it the first time because we didn't know how the packaging/bag looked.

Here are 7 benefits of quinoa:
1. Quinoa is one of the most protein-rich foods we can eat.
2. Quinoa contains almost twice as much fiber as most other grains.
3. Quinoa contains Iron.
4. Quinoa contains lysine.
5. Quinoa is rich in magnesium.
6. Quinoa is high in Riboflavin (B2).
7. Quinoa has a high content of manganese.

Quick recipe:
1 c quinoa 
2 c spinach
1 onion
Mrs. Dash garlic & herb
parmesan cheese

Soo...I paired it with ribs. haha, I know it's not the healthiest choice but I only had 1 piece. Swear. Nonetheless, quinoa gets my seal of approval and I'm planning to try other recipes with it. 

Healthy Eating 101

It's May 1st. You know what that means: Checking and rechecking goals. 

This list will serve as a reminder of what foods to buy. Yup. Project muffin top-LESS here we gooo..

LYFE water

A new healthy and savvy restaurant called LYFE Kitchen opened up a couple weeks ago in downtown Culver City. This is their LYFE water:

 Refreshing

 

All you need is:

chia seeds

strawberries

mint leaves

water

ENJOY!

Roasted Broccoli

Because I cooked salmon the night before, I wanted to pair it with something healthy and green. Broccoli or spinach is my usual go-to. This time I tried baking them instead of steaming. Never done this before but it was easy and turned out pretty good.

RECIPE adapted from Simply Recipes
2 lbs broccoli cut into florets
4 tbls olive oil
juice from half a lemon
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
3 garlic cloves
salt
pepper

1 Preheat the oven to 425°F. In a large bowl toss the broccoli florets and minced garlic with olive oil and lemon juice until lightly coated. Sprinkle salt over the broccoli and toss to coat.
2 Arrange the broccoli florets in a single layer on a greased or parchment lined baking sheet. Roast for 16-20 minutes, until cooked through and nicely browned.
3 Put the roasted broccoli back in the bowl and toss with lots of freshly ground black pepper and the grated parmesan cheese.

Kale Chips

A healthy alternative to your chip cravings...kale chips! I got this quick recipe from my brother the other day and have yet to try it.

 

 

RECIPE:

kale

olive oil

seasoning

 

Coat with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Bake at 350 for 35 mins then season it to your liking. Thanks brother!



Health is Wealth

I've been on a healthy kick as of late, and I love how many people around me are also working on their health/physical goals. ! It is true that in order to lose weight or get stronger you have to follow the 20% exercise and 80% diet rule. Don't get me wrong, I'm not completely eliminating fried chicken or all you can eat korean bbq, but I am eating those kinds of foods in moderation and more importantly all meals with portion control while exercising 3-4 times a week. To health!

I noticed I don't have a label titled 'healthy' on this blog. We need to change that.  

 exactly what I'm thinking ...just without the profanity :P

Spaghetti & Meatballs

 

 

RECIPE adapted from Rachel Ray

Meatballs:

• 1 1/4 pounds ground sirloin
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, eyeball it
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs, a couple of handfuls
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano cheese
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• Salt and pepper

Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed or chopped
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup beef stock, available on soup aisle in market in small paper boxes
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• A handful chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 10 leaves fresh basil leaves, torn or thinly sliced
• Grated cheese, such as Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano, for passing at table
• Crusty bread or garlic bread, for passing at the table

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Place a large pot of water on to boil for spaghetti. When it boils, add salt and pasta and cook to al dente.

Mix beef and Worcestershire, egg, bread crumbs, cheese, garlic, salt and pepper. Roll meat into 1 1/2 inch medium-sized meatballs and place on nonstick cookie sheet or a cookie sheet greased with extra-virgin olive oil. Bake balls 10 to 12 minutes, until no longer pink.

Heat a deep skillet or medium pot over moderate heat. Add oil, crushed pepper, garlic and finely chopped onion. Saute 5 to 7 minutes, until onion bits are soft. Add beef stock, crushed tomatoes, and herbs. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes.

Toss hot, drained pasta with a few ladles of the sauce and grated cheese. Turn meatballs in remaining sauce. Place pasta on dinner plates and top with meatballs and sauce and extra grated cheese.

Spinach Dip

So long Trader Joe's spinach dip. I will not be buying you anymore thanks to this recipe.  Super easy and a hit!

 

RECIPE adapted from Alton Brown

1 cup thawed, chopped frozen spinach

11/2 cups thawed, chopped frozen artichoke hearts

6 ounces cream cheese

1/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup mayonnaise (I didn't use mayo)

1/3 cup grated Parmesan

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

 

Boil spinach and artichokes in 1 cup of water until tender and drain. Discard liquid. Heat cream cheese in microwave for 1 minute or until hot and soft. Stir in rest of ingredients and serve hot, and pair with pita chips or your favorite bread.

Chicken Stir-Fry

RECIPE:
2 1b ground chicken
4 potatoes
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1 container portabello mushrooms
1 onion
soy sauce
salt
pepper

Zuppa Toscana

Olive Garden Copycat :P

RECIPE

1 lb Italian sausage (I like mild sausage)
2 large russet baking potatoes, sliced in half, and then in 1/4 inch slices
1 large onion, chopped
1/4 cup bacon bits (optional)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups kale
2 (8 ounce) cans chicken broth
1 quart water
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions:

New year, new recipes

Has it really been a little over a year since my last post? Well the cake pop side hustle died down, which means my future posts will solely be for me to remember recipes (sweet & savory) I've tried...and of course share them with you!  I have some foodie pics in my camera roll, but never got a chance to post them. Time to play catch up..