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.

to the point

tuesday was a loooong day. woke up at 6:40, class at 8:00 straight till 12:30, did homework during the break before my next class at 2:00, finished at 3:30 then came home and started doing more homework. AND i didn't even have my 6:00-8:00 exercise physiology lab this week! i was exhausted and just could not muster up the energy to cook something. so, my roommate julia (of the english girl in bc), went to the point grill at marine drive.
now, i have been told by many a friend that the wild salmon fish and chips is awesome. i wasn't sure how the salmon was going to stand up to being deep fried, but it actually worked out. verdict = pretty tasty! i mean really, i like anything deep fried which is probably a bad thing, but sometimes you just gotta go for it. this was one of those times! you have to try it, just to say you have!

yum   : )

now. i do have to mention a very pivotal part of the meal. we already talked about the fish. now it's time for the chips. garlic fries. ooooh man they were tasty! to some people they may have been a bit garlicy, but i love garlic, so they were peerrfeecctttt!

me + garlic fry = happiness  : )

also good was the granville island pale ale, which was relatively cheap. the batter for the fish and chips had the ale in it, so the meal went well together.

granville island pale ale

so, there you have it! our time at the point grill was good: our waiter was very friendly and the service was quite fast. i would recommend it to other students, it's relatively priced, there are healthy options (as you can see i just couldn't resist deep fried deliciousness) and it just means when you have lazy days like my tuesday, you can go somewhere to relax and have food made for you!