the just right girl

urgh. today as of 11:30 i finished four out of my five final exams. needless to say, they didn't all go as planned. luckily, my next one isn't until friday, plus its the easiest one i have, so i'm taking the day off to do nothing and relax!  pajamas: ✓   greasy food: ✓    nap: ✓    hot chocolate: ✓   blog post: here we go! as many of you know, i turned 20 a few weeks ago - halfway to 40! i guess if anything it was the perfect year to learn to cook for myself, now that i am so old. i mean, i can't be old and not know how to cook or bake really yummy desserts. i would be the worst old person ever!

i've come to terms with the fact that this will be me soon

i thought it would be a nice time to do a little reflecting on my cooking experience this semester. i've cooked meat. i've touched raw meat. i've become addicted to spicy foods. i haven't made anything that was super gross. while i'm not the best and still don't know a lot, my cooking has come a long way. i think the coolest thing about cooking for yourself is that you can cook what you want, when you want, and you don't have to offend anybody while doing it. i've realized i like my food ridiculously spicy, something i couldn't really try much at home.

so, to celebrate me officially becoming an old person (with new cooking skillz), my dad got me this really nice vegetarian cookbook for my birthday. not only is it full of really creative recipes, it's also got super detailed nutrition info, as well as little bits of info about healthy eating. defs my kind of book, thanks dad! ♥  : )

no doubt i will try these recipes out next semester

so, i tried out one of the recipes from the book last week - i tweaked it a bit because i have a limited fridge and pantry atm as i am trying to clear things out before christmas break. i was staying up late studying for my exercise physiology final and decided a late night snack was in order. here comes my version of the spicy kidney bean tostada:

what you need:
1/2 can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp paprika
2 tsp chili flakes (to taste)
1/2 jalapeno pepper (to taste: i used jarred - they're way easier)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 an avocado
1/4 cup grated cheese
2 tbsp water
2 small tortillas

step 1:
set oven to 375 degrees. in a pan set to medium heat, add 1 tsp olive oil. once hot, add in garlic and let saute for a few minutes. then add in your kidney beans, spices and jalapeno pepper. mix, and add in water. let cook for a few minutes.
step 2:
when oven is warm, add in tortillas for ~5 minutes or until nice and golden brown. cube your avocado.
step 3: 
when water is gone, you're ready to eat! take tortillas out of the oven. scoop the mix onto the tortilla, and place avocado pieces on top. take cheese and scatter around. you can either put it back in the oven to melt the cheese, or put in the microwave for 30 seconds.

the perfect gooey late night study snack!

ingredient of the week: salmon

 ok everyone, sorry for the super delay in posting. final exam time is upon us and i haven't had time to cook anything interesting or blog about the things that were. anyways, i just left victoria on my way back to vancouver for my last 3 finals (physics, sport psych and bio psych). unfortunately, as i woke up at 9:30 to catch the 11 am ferry, i noticed there was an odd amount of water on the floor. my first thought: did christina turn off the shower last night? yah she did - the rain decided to come in through the foundation. that is defs not good. so i am a little bit flustered from the craziness of home, and thought a blog post would be the perfect way to calm down before starting some readings. so, here we go.

here's the second installment of the ingredient of the week! this time, it's salmon. i lovee salmon, and at home we used to eat it at least once a week (dad does it really nicely on the bbq). since i began cooking for myself, i hadn't really had any salmon until this week. when i went to costco with my dad, i bought a big bag of frozen salmon fillets. i know it seems weird to buy it frozen, but it's really just as good. the texture is the same, and it's super handy because they are individually wrapped (perfect portion sizes!) and only take ~6 hours to defrost. plus, you don't need to worry about it going bad!

bearie bears also love to eat salmon

salmon is one of the richest sources of omega-3's (specifically EPA: eicosapentaenoic acid and DHA: dohosahexaenoic acid). what are they? essential fatty acids, meaning, you need them for healthy living. unfortunately, our body cannot create these molecules so you need to have them in your diet regularly. our brains contain over 60% structural fat (think: brain cells, or neurons). as most of you learned in high school biology, cell membranes are composed of a lipid layer. here's where the omega-3 fatty acids come in - they are especially fluid and flexible, making it easier to allow nutrients to come in, and waste to move out. EPA, found in salmon, is one of the best types of omega-3's for this job.

so other than keeping your brain working, omega-3's also improve your cardiovascular health: preventing damage of cholesterol in your arteries (once damaged, it begins to clog), improves healthy cholesterol levels and prevent erratic heart rhythms.
omega-3's also have huge anti-inflammatory effects. this is because they effect the production or prostaglandins - hormone-like molecules. EPA is the immediate precursor for series 3 prostaglandins, an anti-inflammatory type that prevents platelets from sticking together and improves blood flow.
salmon is also a good source of protein, niacin and vitamin B12, which all help to lower total blood cholesterol. niacin in particular has been proven to help prevent Alzheimer's disease and age-related cognitive decline.

my birthday dinner - salmon and veggies

so, for my first salmon dinner away from home i made teryiaki salmon with garlic roast veg. nom nom nom!

what you need:
1 fillet of salmon
1 tbsp teryiaki sauce
2 cloves garlic
1/2 head of broccoli
1/2 zucchini
2 tsp olive oil

step 1:
pre-heat oven to 400. put salmon into a small dish and pour teryiaki sauce over top. mix around so fillet is covered and place plastic wrap on top. marinade for ~20 minutes.
step 2:
in the mean time, roughly chop up your veggies and place in a large dish. finely slice the garlic and scatter throughout dish. pour 1 tsp olive oil on top and mix. place in oven for ~25 minutes (if you don't use broccoli the time will come down a lot).
step 3:
take a pan and set to medium-high heat and pour in 1 tsp olive oil. let the pan get nice and hot, then carefully place your salmon in. it should sizzle and splatter for a few minutes. leave for ~5 minutes, depending on how thick the salmon is. flip over to the other side.
step 4:
by the time the salmon is finished, the veggies should be done as well. plate up!

a hot mess

as i mentioned earlier in my dad recently came over to vancouver to visit, and we defs hit up costco, where i bought a big pack of skinless and boneless chicken thighs! finally, i don't have to live off tofu for the rest of the year! now, i know chicken thighs have a bit more fat than chicken breast, but i like them better because they don't dry out as easily, plus they are less expensive! the difference between breast and thigh is the fibre type of the muscle. i could go on a huge rant about muscle types but i'll try and keep it as simple as possible (that's hard for an HKinner who likes muscles...) and just for your knowledge, there are tons of subcategories for fibre types, these are just the basics!

different muscle fibres: dark spots are type I; light spots type II

so, to start. chicken thighs are dark meat, and are made up of type I or slow-twitch muscle fibres. this fibre type is special because of its resistance to fatigue, which is important for basic movements (think: posture, walking etc). they also contain more myoglobin than type II fibres. these proteins provide a more efficient way of oxygen transportation, which, as you can imagine, is important for muscles that are constantly in use.
on the other hand, chicken breasts are white meat, and are made up of type II or fast-twitch muscle fibres. these fibres fatigue quickly, but can exert more force and energy than type I. and... that's all i have to say about them because they're just kind of boring.

in my books, dark is better. it's got more iron (3x as much as raw spinach), zinc, riboflavin, niacin and thiamin than white meat. plus, the little bit extra fat content in dark meat really just makes is juicy, and furthermore contain omega -3 and -6 fatty acids.

anyways, i made some hot honey brushed chicken thighs, and they were sooooo good! the recipe below was enough for my dinner and lunch the next day. so, this chicken is super spicy, and also super messy. i ended up with the powder mixture all over the kitchen table.. i guess my tossing skills aren't quite there yet? needless to say, i will definitely be making this one again!

what you will need:
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp crushed chili flakes
1 skinless, boneless chicken thigh
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp chicken broth (or cider vinegar)
1/2 zucchini
1 cup frozen green beans
2 tsp olive oil

step 1:
pre-heat oven to 375. combine the first 5 ingredients into a small bowl and stir. cut up your chicken thigh into small, bite-sized pieces, cleaning off any extra fat. plop the chicken pieces into the bowl and toss, ensuring they are completely covered.
step 2:
chop up the zucchini and place into a cooking dish with 1 tsp olive oil and place in oven. take another cooking dish and cover the bottom with 1 tsp olive oil. place in chicken and put in the oven as well. combine honey and broth (or cider vinegar) into a little dish.
step 3:
after 3 minutes, flip chicken over. after another 3 minutes, take chicken out and brush them with honey-broth mixture then put them back in. repeat in 1 minute intervals until mix is gone, then add 1/4 cup of water to the pan. add in the cup of frozen green beans into pan.
step 4:
when chicken is crispy and the beans and zucchini are cooked, take out and plate. enjoy!

spicy and slightly messy dinner

ingredient of the week: quinoa

here's a new feature on my blog! it's ingredient of the week, where i pick a nutritious ingredient that i love to cook with and get to tell you all about it's health benefits and even include some recipes. i'm super excited about this, and i'm sure you'll learn something!

so to kick us off is quinoa (pronounced keen-wah), the fruit of a broadleaf plant in the same family as spinach and beets, commonly used in the same way as rice or couscous. it's nutty, crunchy and creamy and is perfect for a vegetarian or vegan diet as it is a complete protein (due to the high amount of essential amino acids). quinoa is also gluten free and super easy to digest, so it's perfect for people with celiac disease or digestive problems.

 Chenopodium Quinoa

quinoa originates from south america, where it has been an important food for over 6,000 years. The Incas referred to quinoa as the "mother of all grains" and recognized its value in increasing the stamina of their warriors. as for nutritional benefits, it is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus, and is very high in magnesium and iron. quinoa isn't the most common ingredient, so if you can't find it in the legume section of your supermarket, ask an associate or make a trip to your local organic or health food store.

brand of quinoa i found

i found some quinoa at the organic foods store next to my hot yoga studio. it was about $6.00 and for the recipe below (enough for 4-5 servings) i used 1/5 of the bag. i'd say with all the health benefits, it's totally worth the trek! 

the recipe i am going to share with you is a quinoa pilaf with roasted zucchini. the first time i made this, my dad and i went down to our local veggie store and they had a recipe for quinoa pilaf on these little cards. i modified this one a bit from the original, you can add any spices you want, you don't really need the tofu and can add any veggies you like, really. this is what i came up with!

what you will need:
3/4 cup quinoa
1/2 an onion, chopped finely
1 tbsp olive oil
1 green and red pepper, diced
1/2 zucchini
3 garlic cloves, crushed
4 cups low-sodium broth
1/4 container of firm tofu
1/2 can of diced tomatoes
2 tbsp chili flakes
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp oregano

step 1:
pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. heat oil in pan over medium heat. add onions and garlic, saute for 5 minutes or until soft. add in peppers and cook till soft.
step 2:
stir in quinoa, broth, tomatoes, tofu and spices and bring to a boil. cover, and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes or until soft. put zucchini in the oven for ~15 minutes depending on how thick you cut the slices. serve when both are ready!

delicious and nutritious dinner

pah-stuh

this weekend my dad came over from the island to hang out with me! i'm surprised he even made it over - it snowed quite a bit friday night. the only problem he ran into was on the ferry... nobody had thought to salt the bridge to take you onto the boat. that was just really stupid. dad left yesterday and today i was a bit homesick and it was cold so i decided to make a big pot of yummy pasta. it was sooo good i seriously wanted to eat the whole thing but i left some for lunch tomorrow.. that took all my willpower!

what you will need:
2-3 handfuls of whole wheat rotini pasta (farfalle or angel hair pasta would be good too)
1 tsp olive oil
5 shrimp (i used pre-cooked frozen and thawed them)
1/2 onion, chopped finely
4-5 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 zucchini, chopped
1/2 a broccoli head
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 tbsp sun dried tomatoes, chopped into chunks
small chunk of feta cheese
1 tsp paprika and thyme
1 1/2 tsp crushed chili flakes

step 1:
put a pot of water on high and add a pinch of salt. leave until boiling. in the meantime, take your shrimp and defrost them in a sieve under cold, running water. chop your veggies while waiting for water and shrimp.
step 2:
put a pan on medium heat and add in olive oil. when warm add in onion and crushed garlic. saute for 5 minutes until onions are soft. at this point your water should be boiling so add in pasta and cook for ~8 minutes or until done.
step 3:
add spices into saute pan and cook for a minute. add in sun dried tomatoes, zucchini, broccoli and cook for 5 minutes. pour in chicken broth and thawed shrimp, stir. add cooked pasta into the pan and toss. when warm, crumble chunk of feta straight into the pan and toss again. serve!


next time i'm going to add more sun dried tomatoes cause they were just soooo yummy.

nommy pasta   : )

holy hummous

i like hommous. i have it with pita, veggies, crackers, souvlaki, on sandwiches or even just by itself. it's really nutritious, high in protein, iron and fibre (the type that keeps blood sugars from rising too quickly) and is useful in vegetarian or vegan diets as it creates a full protein when eaten with starch. recipes vary depending on where you are, lebanese hummous is very different from greek hummous. i obviously like the greek hummous more because that's how i've always eaten it. since i'm living away from home and don't have all the proper kitchen tools, i made this in a blender. it came out a lot more smooth but it tastes the exact same. plus, keeping it in the fridge helped it thicken.

ingredients for life

 what you need:
14 oz can of chickpeas with some liquid
2 tbsp olive oil
juice of 1 lemon (i always add more - i like mine very lemony)
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 paprika
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1/4 cup tahini (optional, but it adds extra flavour and protein)
salt and pepper

step 1:
put chickpeas in blender with a bit of the liquid, lemon juice and oil. blend until smooth.
step 2:
add in cumin, paprika, garlic, tahini, parsley and salt and pepper. blend until mixed together. taste - at this point i usually add in a ton more lemon juice, but this is when you can adjust the flavours to how you like it.
step 3:
garnish with paprika, parsley and an olive in the middle. i obviously didn't put the olive on cause i am the only greek on this earth to not like olives. i know... it's weird.

enjoy  : )

pain and panic, reporting for duty

this might seem like news to some of you, but i've never actually cut myself on a knife. i know, lucky right? well that was until today... i cut myself twice within 30 minutes of each other. lamesauce. who knew ikea knives were so sharp?! the only thing that stopped me from falling over (i sometimes faint when i see my own blood - mainly when it is in pools) was the fact that i quickly ran to the sink and put my fingers under cold running water, that washed away the blood as it came to the surface. i must stay i handled it quite well!

best characters ever created by disney, not so much welcome in my life.

anyways, it all started when i was making hummous for my epic sandwich. i put a garlic clove through the garlic press and went to scrape it off with a knife. my pinky finger somehow got in the way. now, i tried re-enacting this, i have no clue how i ended up cutting my pinky finger. really, if anything i should've cut my index finger... oh well. this one is right on the knuckle, and pretty deep so it's gonna be angry for a while.

the next epic injury happened only 20 minutes after my first. i had just finished mushing up the avocado, and began to put it into a ziploc bag. that's when i decided it would be a good idea to take out the seed. the way i've always done it (and never gotten hurt) is by hitting the seed with your knife and twisting. well, i guess this time the knife didn't get deep enough, so when i went to turn it, the knife slipped and scrapped all the way up the side of my middle finger. i basically hacked a bunch of skin off all the way up my finger. wanna see the chunk of skin? click here. this one required 3 super big band-aids. eeeeeeeek.

 

my ouchies   : (

anyways, moral of the story: i'm a very clumsy person and ikea knives are sharp. be careful and always have a good stock of band-aids and polysporin (love the kind that has the numbing stuff) in the house.

earl of sandwich

oh yes my dear friends, it has finally arrived. national sandwhich day. it is the anniversary of john montagu's birthday - the 4th earl of sandwhich (coolest title ever). so apparently, instead of interrupting a 24-hour gambler bender, the 18th century british nobleman instructed his servants to serve his lunch meat between 2 pieces of bread, allowing him to eat with one hand. the world has never looked back.

the most important part of a sandwich, in my opinion, is the bread. i like mine 100% whole grain, possibly with some flax or sunflower seeds. my favourite, favourite, favourite bread is made by silver hills bakery. they have 9 different types of bread, including the big 16, mack's flax (my fave), little big bread and marvelous multi. instead of grinding their grains (a process which takes out most of the nutrition) they sprout their grains for 36 hours and then add them to the mix of other ingredients.

mmmmm, silver hills bread  : )

when you buy bread, you better read the label properly - companies are trying to trick you into thinking their product is 'healthy' when it's not. one day i went to the grocery store and was in a rush, i just picked up a loaf of bread that said whole grain. when i took it home and looked at the ingredients, i was sad. "enriched flour" doesn't count as whole grain in my books. here are some tips when looking for real whole grain bread.

leave it on the shelf if it says:
- made with whole grains
it doesn't mention how much whole grain is in the bread. they could've only put in a pinch! unless it says 100%, you won't get the potential benefits.
- multigrain/whole grain
this doesn't tell you anything about the grains being whole or refined. while you're getting 40 different grains, it doesn't help if they are all processed.

so, key points. when shopping for bread, look for the words 100% whole grain/wheat, and stay away from any kind with flour that is "enriched", "bleached", "unbleached", "semolina" and "rice". it must say whole wheat flour and it must be the first ingredient.

wow. that was a long rant about bread. anyways, back to sandwich day. today is a day where i sit down and enjoy a most righteous sandwhich. well, today i didn't quite have time to be so creative, so i settled for one of my faves.

my sandwich for sandwich day

what you need:
2 pieces of your favourite whole wheat bread
1/4 red pepper, sliced thinly
1 tbsp homemade hummous (recipe soon, i swear!)
1/4 avocado, mushed
2 leaves of romaine lettuce
handful of sprouts

step 1:
smear hummous onto once piece of bread, and the mushed up avocado onto the other.
step 2: 
lay the red pepper, sprouts and lettuce ontop of the hummous. take piece of bread with avocado and put on top. eat.

goodbye, national sandwich day. perhaps next year i will have time to honour you by making a more creative sandwich. until next year.

smoothielicious

smoothies have really saved my life this week, with the whole no-fresh-veggies-or-fruit-in-the-fridge thing. they definitely helped me get the nutrients that i was missing! it may seem weird, but frozen veggies and fruit contain the same essential nutrients and health benefits compared to fresh, so don't be afraid to buy them. they are basically just fresh fruit or veggies that have been blanched and frozen within hours of being picked. sounds good to me! anyways, here are a couple smoothie recipes what i really liked from the last week or so.

best breakfast smoothie

what you will need:
~ 1 cup apple juice
4 frozen strawberries
4 frozen pieces of peach
1 big handful of frozen blueberries
2-3 ice cubes
* 1 scoop whey or soy protein
step 1:
blend all ingredients in blender until smooth. add extra juice if needed. i had the smoothie along with some oatmeal with milk and fresh banana for breakfast!

* to have a smoothie as a meal replacement, i suggest adding soy or whey protein no matter if it's for breakfast or lunch. also interesting would be adding in some ground flax seed to the smoothie. it's important to note that flax seeds must be ground for your body to fully absorb the omega-3 fatty acids.

blueberry binge

what you will need:

1 cup milk

1 cut up frozen banana

1-2 big handfuls of frozen blueberries

step 1:
add all ingredients to blender and blend until smooth. add extra milk if needed.

this smoothie was really creamy and rich - and the milk provided protein and calcium to keep my bones strong. as a complete side note - i have a history of osteoporosis and early arthritis in my famjam. plus i've already got some sort of rheumatism thing - i can tell you when it's going to rain or when the pressure changes.

davinci's anatomical drawings - keep them bones strong

even though you can get calcium from milk, yogurt, cheese and green, leafy veggies, some days you just don't get enough which is why i take a calcium supplement. any extra just gets peed out! dr oz says to take ~1,000 mg of calcium a day, broken up into two 500 mg doses (your body can only absorb 600mg at a time). it's also important to take vitamin D and vitamin K along with calcium, as it increases the amount of calcium your body is able to absorb. vitamin D is also shown to slow the progression of arthritis. i take a chewable calcium supplement that contains 500 mg of calcium, 100 IU of vitamin D and 40 mcg of vitamin K. i take one in the morning with breakfast, and one at night after dinner. yaaay for calcium!

curry me chickpea

so last weekend i came back to vancouver after spending some time with the famjam. well, i was supposed to go grocery shopping on my way back, but it was so rainy that i just didn't feel like it. actually, i felt that way for the whole entire week. so basically, the only fresh thing i had in my fridge was an onion, not really too useful. so, i managed to make food so that i could survive - i had kd one night and tomato soup the next, not really inspiring or creative. but then i came up with this a super good meal, which to be honest i don't even know how i put together considering i basically had nothing.

chickpeas are always in my pantry. they are featured on one of my favourite websites, World's Healthiest Foods. it's basically a website that has a list of the top 100 vegetables, fruits, legumes and grains that are good for you, and includes an in-depth nutritional analysis and lists health benefits of the particular food. it's a super useful tool when deciding what to eat and what not to eat, and also has some interesting recipes too. i encourage you to check it out!

chickpeas  : )

anyways, chickpeas are really high in iron, manganese and molybdenum - a mineral which detoxifies sulfites (similar to MSG), which are preservatives added to prepared foods. people who are sensitive to sulfites can have symptons such as rapid heart rate, headaches and nausea. chickpeas are also high in dietary fibre, which lowers cholesterol and prevents your blood sugar levels from rising too rapidly after a meal. important to note: if you're vegetarian you may have heard of creating a 'complete protein'. by mixing chickpeas with whole grains you create a high quality, fat-free protein.

anyways, onto the meal!

what you will need:
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 an onion, diced finely
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp ginger, crushed
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garam masala
small splash of white wine
1 cup chicken stock
1 can of chickpeas, drained
1 tsp sugar (optional)
1/2 can of diced tomatoes (with some of the liquid)
medium cube of frozen spinach

step 1:
in a pot on medium heat, saute onions for ~5 minutes or till soft. add in garlic and ginger and stir. once a bit brown, add in curry powder, garam masala and cumin. stir and let cook for ~1 minute. add wine to deglaze the pan.
step 2:
stir in chickpeas and tomatoes (with liquid). add in chicken stock and stir. simmer for about 10 minutes or until desired consistency. (i made mine more thick)
step 3:
add in spinach and sugar (if desired) and stir. take off heat and serve with brown rice, naan or lettuce leaves.

curried chickpeas on brown rice

i'm proud to call you chocolate bear

if you haven't watched scrubs, please do. it pretty much changed my whole entire life! there's just way too many awesome, awesome moments (cactus hands, guy love, bugel fingers, everything comes down to poo, jd and cox, kung fu fighting surgeons, pumpkin babies, toto in the tub, ted - in general haha) i wish jd and turk could be my friends.... anyways, i was watching my favourite moments from scrubs and stumbled on this:




it reminded me that i hadn't had chocolate in a long time. i know, that's weird cause chocolate bear is turk's nickname, or really it's christina's nickname. but whatevs. something you all should know about me is that i have quite the obsession with peanut butter and chocolate. i love peanut M&M's, peanut butter M&M's, reese's pieces (big or small) and reese's pieces candy. it's really bad. i'd say i need help. so, this obsession, plus my craving for chocolate from 'guy love' got me thinking... i should make peanut butter and chocolate brownies. nom nom nom. it's a super simple recipe, i think my mistake was trying to fit it all into a baking dish too small and also not having baking powder. the good thing is that even if you didn't do everything right, the end result is still super yummy cause it's pb and choco. you can never go wrong.

peanut butter brownie with hot chocolate  : )

what you need:
1/2 cup of peanut butter
1/3 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
1tsp baking powder
1 cup milk chocolate chips

step 1:
preheat oven to 350 degrees. cream together peanut butter and butter. beat in sugars, eggs and vanilla.
step 2:
stir in flour and baking powder. when everything is fully mixed, fold in your choco chips!
step 3:
spread into baking pan for ~30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out with fudgy crumbs.
step 4:
let cool and slice!
makes approximately 12 servings.

gooey and chewy brownie

to the reef

i went home this weekend for some nice relaxing time with the fam jam... which really wasn't too relaxing cause i was studying for exercise physiology all weekend.. but still. it was good times! dad decided to take christina and i out for brunch to one of the coolest restaurants (and one of his faves) in victoria: the reef. (there's also a location at commercial drive in vancouver) it's got a relaxed carribean vibe with super, super amazing and authentic food. they have some killer hot sauces too!

entrance to the reef

we started off with drinks, christina and i got the natural jamaican ginger ale and dad got the homemade ginger beer - it left quite a burn at the back of your throat. i was not expecting that when i had a sip!

dad and his super strong ginger beer

next came the complimentary johnny cakes with raspberries inside. they're kind of like a doughnut but are covered with cinnamon sugar. seriously amazing. crispy on the outside - warm, fluffy and moist on the inside. delish.

johnny cakes!

then, we ordered plantain chips. way better than the yam fries. they're served with some kind of spicy cumin curry dipping sauce which is pretty good, but i really like spicy sooo.... always eat them with their homemade hot sauce. it's the perfect amount of spicy that leaves a nice tingle on your tongue!

plantain chips

now for the meal. christina and i both got the exact same thing: huevos rancheros. seriously the best thing on the brunch menu. it's 2 sunny side eggs on top of a crispy tortilla with refried beans, chunky tomato salsa, a big dollop of sour cream and hash browns. love love love. dad got the mo' bay frittata with chorizo and whole wheat toast. i had that the very first time we came to the reef, and it's reeaallly good. i probably like chorizo too much. but it's just too nom nom!

twins!

so, that was our time at the reef. too bad nirvana couldn't join us cause they're dead... awkward. i love this place so much. it's super cool, it's got interesting food, and i really like their cocktails (especially the mo-jita - a mojito with raspberry rum and raspberries in it). super nom nom nom.

my inner asian

soooo errybody, ignore whatever i said about being greek. i am really asian. i have crazy asian eyes when i smile and had the mongolian bum spot when i was born (don't worry, mine was cute). i like pandas, tofu, szechuan, green tea, rice, peach hi chews and sushi. in tribute to this little piece of my heritage, i will share my somewhat 'healthy' version of greasy chinese food. cause ya know, when you have that craving, you just can't shake it. this is my go-to recipe; i throw whatever veggies i have in and in 10 minutes i have dinner. i literally make it 2+ times a week.

clearly asian: beijing, china 2009

what you need:
1/2 cup pre-cooked brown rice
1/2 a celery stalk *
1/2 red bell pepper
handful of snow peas
1/2 an onion
1/4 container extra-form tofu (light if possible) **
2 tsp ginger (i used crushed ginger from a jar - it's a time saver!)
3 garlic cloves
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp red chili flakes
1 tbsp teryaki or szechuan sauce (try to find a brand with low sodium, or you can make your own. here's a good recipe)
2 tsp low sodium chicken broth

*hint: you can use any veggies you have, i just listed all the ones i've used in the past, i don't usually put in that many unless i am making it to last a few days.
** hint: yes, i make this with tofu cause i like it, and it's fast. you would easily make this with chicken, pork or beef, or just veggies.

NOM NOM NOM  : )

step 1: crush your garlic, finely chop your onion and dice any veggies you plan to use (if you're in a rush cut them smaller so they cook faster). pour olive oil into a pan set to medium heat, when warm add in your onions, garlic and ginger. saute for 2 minutes then add in your chili flakes.
step 2: add in your veggies and chicken stock, saute for another 5 minutes or so. when veggies are cooked to where you want them, add in your teryaki or szechuan sauce. stir together!
step 3: heat up brown rice in the microwave and spoon veggies on top. if desired, sprinkle on some sesame seeds. enjoy!


that is my epic greasy chinese food recipe. it's good. i probably eat it too often, but i love it. if i'm feeling super unhappy (think: midterms) i add tons of sauce. i know it's bad, but sometimes you just gotta let yourself have a treat.

makeshift thanksgiving

so, for this thanksgiving i wasn't able to go home for dinner (again, thanks to the university...). it was sad. but, i managed to make some stuffing. the recipe we usually use isn't actually for turkey - it's based off of a normandy chicken stuffing recipe. i think it's super nommy anyways  : )  even more nommy, i splurged on my food budget to buy bacon. best. idea. ever! anyways, when i was at the grocery store i ended up forgetting a few very important things. i didn't get cranberries and i didn't get gravy mix. luckily, i had gone to ikea with my dad at the beginning of the year and picked up some lingonberry sauce and their cream sauce. so, that's what i used. it didn't turn out too bad considering! oh, along with the stuffing, i roasted some butternut squash - my absolute favourite fall food! so, here's how it went...

what you need:
       stufing:
10 slices of whole wheat bread
4 celery stalks
3 granny smith apples
1/2 an onion
1 cup apple juice
5 strips of bacon
1 1/2 tsp thyme
1 1/2 tsp sage
1/4 cup butter
       veggies
1 butternut squash

step 1: pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. dice your onion, apples and celery, and cube your bread and bacon. put the bacon into a pan on medium heat, brown (but do not fully cook). when finished, take out using a slotted spoon and place in a separate bowl. add bread to the pan with the bacon fat leftover.
step 2: cook bread in bacon fat until nice and golden brown. when done, take out and place into bowl with the bacon. try not to take any little black crumbs into the bowl.
step 3: add butter, onion, apples and celery into the pan and saute for 5 minutes. pour in the apple juice and let cook until soft. add some sage and thyme (to taste - i used about 1 1/2 tsp of each) and stir.

sauteing the onions, apples and celery

step 4: once the spices are combined, add into bowl with bread and bacon. mix thoroughly and place into a baking pan. cover with foil and cook for about 30 minutes. 20 minutes in, take of the foil so the top can get nice and crispy.

stuffing all ready to go in the oven

step 5: while the stuffing is cooking in the oven, carefully chop up your butternut squash (i almost cut my finger off several times) and place in a dish. cook for about 30 minutes, it should be done at the same time your stuffing is nice, crispy and brown

my thanksgiving evening: spent catching up on sport psychology notes

all the fanciest dijon ketchups

yummmyyyyy

ok folks, i finally have some time to write you about this kind of epic meal i made last week. it was really easy and didn't take long, plus it was pretty healthy. i will definitely be making this again! i had some unused chicken from when i made the pomegranate-baslamic chicken, so i wanted to use it. this is what i made! 

curried honey dijon chicken with ginger and soy roasted veggies

what you need:

       chicken:

1 chicken breast cut up into small pieces (i only used 4 pieces)

1/3 cup honey

1/3 dup dijon mustard (ok - i cheated here. i had grainy mustard so i used that instead)

1 tsp curry powder (i definitely used more!)

1/2 tsp cumin

sprinkle of crushed pepper flakes

       veggies:

any vegetables you like (i used 1/2 red pepper and 1/2 a zucchini - leftover from the night before)

1/2 onion chopped

1 tbsp ginger

1 clove garlic

1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce

step 1:

pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. mix together mustard, honey, curry and pepper flakes into a bowl. put chicken into a freezer bag and pour in mixture. marinade for ~30 minutes in the fridge (but the longer the better).

step 2:

while waiting for your marinade and oven, roughly chop up your veggies and add them to a dish. add crushed garlic and ginger,  soy sauce and onion to the dish and mix with your hands. put into the oven.

step 3:

take chicken out of the fridge and lay it on a greased baking dish. pour out the marinade into the dish as well. bake for about 15 minutes, then flip the chicken over and cook for another few minutes. at this point, check your veg. stir them around for a bit and put them back in the oven.

step 4:

when the juices start to brown, add about 1 to 1 1/2 cup of water or chicken broth to the pan. this will create a nice sauce to go with your dish. [note: i only added like, 1 tbsp of water and thought it would be enough. it wasn't. add lots!]

step 5:

after a few minutes more of cooking the chicken, take it out as well as the veggies. plate it up and enjoy!

so, that's it! not a terribly interesting recipe or blog post, but i am trying to procrastinate from working on the sport psychology case study due thursday... i should really go and do it!

grumblings of a university student

midterm madness. why do profs think it's ok to schedule everything due within the same 2 weeks in mid-october?! i am so glad this week is over - too many tests, midterms, loooong labs and assignments due... plus, it's only going to get worse. next week i have 3 midterms, a case study, an exercise physiology lab and the lab write-up, a physics assignment, a physics lab, and the following monday i have another midterm. not to mention i am conditionally accepted to the HKIN Co-op program (yay!), so i have tons of extra workshops and assignments, plus i need to keep my average as high as i can. the point of this rant is that i will not be updating my blog as regularly as i would like because i basically spend all my time in the library studying. how sad.

koerner library at UBC

persephone's fruit

pomegranates. i love them. and in the last couple of years the pomegranate has soared in popularity due to it's health benefits (hellooo antioxidants!) with juices and concentrates in almost any supermarket you walk into.

in reality, the pomegranate is an ancient fruit with a rich history in myth, religion, medicine, symbols and art throughout many cultures. for example, ancient greek mythology tells the story of how persephone was kidnapped by hades. once in the underworld, hades tempted persephone with a pomegranate (a sign of marriage). by eating some of the arils before her rescue, persephone tied herself to the underworld. persephone's mother, demeter, was so upset at the loss of her daughter that she prevented the earth from bearing fruit unless she saw her daughter again. zeus arranged a compromise: persephone would spend 1/3 of the year in the underworld with hades, and the rest of the year with demeter. this myth was used by the ancient greeks to try and explain the changing of the seasons.

my favourite kore - thought to represent persephone

in modern greece the pomegranate still holds strong symbolic meaning. you can find cute little pottery pomegranates to decorate your home in any crafts store. in fact, our house in victoria is known as the 'pomegranate house' by my mum's friends because we have so many. this summer on our trip to greece i was lucky enough to pick up some for my own apartment.

one of my hand crafted pomegranates

pomegranates also grow everywhere in greece - the mediterranean climate is perfect for them. anywhere you went you could find little pomegranate trees.

a pomegranate outside out hotel room near chania, crete

anyways, back to my point. i was grocery shopping last weekend and stumbled upon a pomegranate and was so excited that i just had to buy it! when i got home, i decided that i wanted to make something interesting with the fruit. and so, here's what i made - pomegranate balsamic chicken with grilled vegetables and brown rice.

add a few fresh arils for a pop of colour and texture

what you need:

          chicken:

1 chicken breast

1/2 cup pomegranate juice

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1/8 cup honey

1 tsp brown sugar

1 tsp grainy mustard (i used maille ancient grain)

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock

pinch of thyme

          grilled vegetables:

half a zucchini

half a red pepper

any other vegetables you want to put in (i recommend butternut squash)

1 tsp olive oil

salt and pepper

step 1:

cut chicken breast into small pieces. pour pomegranate juice, honey, vinegar, sugar, mustard and thyme into a freezer bag and add in the cut up chicken. refrigerate for 20 minutes. during these 20 minutes, roughly chop up your veggies, and pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees.

step 2: 

put your veggies, oil, salt and pepper into a dish and mix together. put in the oven. lightly greas a glass dish and add in your chicken, put in the oven. cook for approximately 20 minutes, depending on how thick you cut your chicken. save the marinade.

step 3:

add remaining marinade to a small pot and bring to a boil. add chicken stock and allow time to thicken. about 10 minutes into cooking, turn over your veggies and chicken.

boiling the marinade ensures any bacteria are killed

step 4:

when veggies and chicken are done cooking, heat up your pre-cooked* brown rice and add all onto plate. sprinkle on your sauce and enjoy!

*hint: i cook about a cup and a half of dry brown rice every sunday night so that it's ready to go during the week. since it takes longer than white rice (umm yeah 55 minutes..) it's much easier to cook ahead!

*hint: i used a whole pomegranate to get about a 1/2 cup of juice. it was a time waster! buy POM pomegranate juice instead, and save the fresh pomegranate arils as a quick, healthy snack and as a garnish for this dish!

breakfast of champions

i love smoothies. i always have... the meal-in-a-glass concept just rocks my world! anyways, my love for them was intensified this summer, when i was lucky enough to get a job at one of my favourite smoothie and juice bars. dangerous. not only did i get a free smoothie per shift, i accidentally added extra juice to the blender so that i could drink the little bit of leftover smoothie. all day, every day i would drink smoothies. i became addicted. it was bad.

anyways, since i no longer work there, i do suffer from smoothie withdrawal. everytime i go to cambie skytrain station i have to stop in and get a smoothie. so, my fix? make some at home. while it is almost impossible to replicate the smoothies exactly (do you have 'tropical nectar' sitting in your fridge? didn't think so) but you can get pretty darn close.

here was my first attempt!

my smoothie   :)

here's what you need:
a blender
3 - 4 ice cubes
3 handfulls of frozen blueberries
1 frozen banana
2 handfuls of frozen mango
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup juice (i used mango pineapple cause that's all i had)

step 1:
add ice cubes, juice, milk, banana, blueberries and mango into blender.
step 2:
blend until desired consistency if achieved.  
j
hint: if your blender keeps going but the contents are not moving, add more liquid. you want the perfect "smoothie tornado". you'll know what i mean if you see it.
note: to make this a proper meal-in-a-cup, i'm going to go out and buy some soy protein and some sweet coconut tofu to add to my smoothies. this way, not only am i getting vitamins B6, C, E, A, vital minerals such as potassium, manganese, calcium, loads of fibre and TONS of antioxidants from the fruit, i'm also getting the protein my muscles and body need to stay strong throughout the day.

TA DA!

so, here's some quick nutrition facts on the fruit i put in my smoothie!
bananas:
- the average banana contains ~470 mg of potassium and only 1 mg of sodium; this means a banana a day will keep high blood pressure and atherosclerosis (build up of plaque along artery walls) away
- very rich in prebiotics, which nourish the probiotics (healthy bacteria) in our colon. the probiotics produce substances which increase our ability to absorb nutrients - especially calcium

blueberries:
- contain huge amounts of antioxidants phytonutrients called anthocyanidins, which help neutralize free radical damage. these enhance effects of vitaminn C, improve capillaries, stabalize collagen matrix (protein blocks for bone, cartilage, tendons and all other connective tissue)
- studies have shown that blueberries and their antioxidants can reduce the effects of conditions such as alzheimer's disease and dementia (dad! just kidding, haha)

mangos:
- very rich in dietary fibre which not only helps the digestive system, but has been shown to reduce the risk of some gastrointestinal cancers
- contain beta-carotene which can slow the aging process, reduce the risk of some cancers, improve lung function and reduce complications of diabetes

so, go now and make yourself a smoothie.
it will be awesome.