So what have I been doing with my time since I got back? Sleeping, a lot. Getting back into my exercise routine, this morning I was able to do thirty minutes on the bike without having to take a single break, hopefully I can get back up to 45-60 minutes by the end of this week. Organizing my room as well as the kitchen. Umm... browsing Pinterest a lot, /cough. And of course cooking and baking. I notice that when I am off work this seems to be when I post on a regular basis, so I suppose I should take advantage of making hot meals before I go back to work, shouldn't I?
With that being said, I have three meals I would like to share with you today. The first being a broccoli salad. Followed by two "pasta" recipes. Mmm, let's get to it!
Curried Broccoli, Apple and Cashew Salad
Recipe adapted from here
Remember when I was in Korea and I was craving salads since I was a) sick and tired of eating rice every single day and b) the spice in their foods upset my stomach? Do you remember that Broccoli and Trail Mix Salad I raved about? Well, as I was perusing some blogs the other day I came across a salad that was very similar to the one I enjoyed so much. I figured why not give it a try, and so today this was my lunch. Between the two I couldn't tell you which I enjoyed more. A lot of the same things are in both salads but the dressings are different so it alters the salads immensely. I enjoyed both so, so much.
This is a perfect salad to whip up when you're in a rush, as it is uncooked. All you need to do is chop some apple pieces, broccoli florets, toss in some dried fruits, mix some ingredients together, toss in a bowl and voila! It is super healthy and super delissshh.
Ingredients:- 2 1/4 cups finely chopped broccoli
- 2 small apples
- 1/4 cup cashews, chopped
- 2-3 tbsp raisins
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/3 cup plain Greek yoghurt
- 1 tbsp mango and lemon jam (as I didn't have mango chutney)
- 1 tbsp curry powder
Make the dressing by whisking the yogurt, mango and lemon jam (or mango chutney), curry powder in a small bowl.
Prepare the rest of the salad ingredients and place in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over top and stir together until everything is evenly coated.
Serve immediately or refrigerate until serving time.
Makes 2-3 servings.
Tofu Noodles with Chickpeas, Tomatoes and Tahini
Recipe taken from here
On Saturday I went to my dad's house to spend the day with him. I went to my dad's place around noon, and I knew I would get hungry sooner or later so I brought some ingredients with me to make a healthy "pasta" dish. I absolutely loved it. It was so simple, that all I had to do was toss my noodles in some hot water, boil, and then throw the other ingredients into a bowl. You then finish off by adding the noodles in with the remaining ingredients and stir. It takes so little time and resulting dish is fantastic.
Since being diagnosed with fibromyalgia I had noticed certain foods that would cause flare ups, one of them being certain grains (depending on how they were made). Pasta is something I gave up eating almost two years ago because every time I consumed noodles it always resulted in my being in some sort of pain. While I was in Montreal this summer I however stumbled upon tofu noodles! I had never seen these before and had to pick up a package. Oh my goodness, they are so amazing! They taste almost identical to noodles, they don't leave you feeling full, but not the "I ate too much full". They take two minutes to cook. You can use them exactly as you would regular noodles and they are incredibly cheap, with a ton of protein. Since finding these noodles, I've had them a few times, and have made some very interesting dishes with them. I don't crave noodles anymore, but whenever I do, I always go for these instead of trying other noodles (not knowing how they'll sit with me), and they're perfect. If you see these at your grocer and haven't tried them I highly suggest giving them a try!
This salad was perfectly light yet filling, and it was so incredibly refreshing. Cannot wait to make it again.
Ingredients:
- 1 package tofu noodles (or 6 oz of noodles)
- A good handful of cherry tomatoes
- 1-2 small cucumbers
- 1 cup chickpeas
- 1 tbsp tahini
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- Sea salt to taste
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
Start a pot of water to boil your noodles. Boil according to the package instructions, about 2-3 minutes.
Meanwhile, chop the two cucumbers into bite-sized chunks. Drain and rinse your chickpeas.
In a large bowl, place your cherry tomatoes; mash them with a potato masher/fork until they are all smashed (leave the juice in the bowl to combine with the pasta).
When the pasta is finished, drain it and rinse with cool water. Add the pasta to the large bowl with the smashed cherry tomatoes, then add the cucumbers and chickpeas. Toss with 2 tbsp tahini, 4 bsp white wine vinegar, 1 tsp sea salt, and fresh ground pepper. Taste and add more salt or tahini if desired. Serve topped with fresh ground pepper.
Southwestern Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
Recipe adapted from here
Have you ever tried spaghetti squash? I tried it about two years ago, and have only had it a small handful of times, but every time (other than the first time) I have absolutely devoured it; this time included. What I love about it, is that duh as it's name suggests, is that it so closely resembles spaghetti. I have made it with many sauces, spices, and add ins.
While being in Montreal some flavour pairings that I very much became, well to say the least, addicted to were Southwestern flavours; black beans, corn, cilantro, lime, and jalapeno, etc... when I found a recipe for spaghetti squash that included these flavours it was bound to be made, devoured and enjoyed. I made this dish yesterday for my dad, his girlfriend and I. My dad's girlfriend and I devoured this, while my dad picked at the toppings. He very much enjoyed the add-in's, but the actual squash itself he wasn't fond of. My pops thought that there needed to be an extra sauce or such on the squash. Unfortunately he wasn't won over by this gorgeous vegetable, and left the squash there (however this left more for me). I definitely ate a lot, and kept munching at his.
The aroma while this was cooking because of the chili powder, oregano and cumin was like nothing I'd ever smelt. It was so aromatic and beautiful, not cookie dough beautiful but it's own category of beautiful. Once I started smelling those spices I knew that I was in for a treat. And yes, I surely was.
If you are a fan of spaghetti squash as well as those Southwestern flavours, this is surely a dish that'll please.
Ingredients:
- 1 spaghetti squash
- 2 tbsp EVOO
- 1/2 red onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp oregano
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 can black beans - drained and rinsed
- 1 cup canned corn
- 4 green onion stalks, chopped
- 3 large handfuls of spinach
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 cup freshly torn cilantro, plus more for garnish
- 1 lime
Preheat oven to 375.
Roast squash on a baking sheet for 50 minutes. Let cool another 30 minutes, then cut in half. Spoon out the seeds, then using a fork, scrape up the flesh, making the “spaghetti.”
Heat oil in a medium skillet. Add the onion, garlic, and red bell pepper. Saute 2 minutes. Add cumin, oregano, chili powder and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Saute another minute. Add the beans, corn, spinach, green onion and cilantro. Stir to combine. Squeeze in the lime juice and give one last stir.
Add in the “spaghetti” to the bean mixture and stir to combine. Taste and season accordingly. Stuff each squash half with the mixture (optional: top with grated cheese).
Garnish with a little bit of cilantro and some more lime juice.
Have you tried any alternative "pasta's"?
If so, which and how did you enjoy them?
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