spana... whatchamacallit?

sorry for the delay in posting everybody! exam time is nearly upon us so this will be one of the last blog posts for a while. i'd much rather spend my time cooking epic food, but no.. no... i have to write exams. oh how i love my life. downside: somehow i still have managed to have 2 exams on the same day (one being 70%).. upside: i have about a two week break after that until my last exam! so, i've decided to pack up again and head out to montreal for a real greek easter: lots of family, church services and of course, lamb on a spit! it's gonna be such a nice way to spend the holiday!

anyways, back to my post. a while back i decided to try and make σπανακόριζο, or spanakorizo (pronounced spah-nah-KOH-ree-zoh). got that? haha that's ok. if not, spana... whatchamacallit works just fine  : )  aaanyways, spanakorizo is a traditional greek rice with lots and lots of spinach. i had this cube of frozen spinach in the freezer for aaaaaaages and finally found a way to use it! now, i don't actually have a recipe for this... i kind of made it up as i went along, but it tasted quite like the real deal! it's a super fast recipe, all you need to do is throw things in a pot and let it cook... and it's also pretty good on the student food budget!

a squeeze of lemon brings it all together  : )

what you need:
big chunk of frozen spinach
2/3 cup of brown rice
~ 2 cups water/chicken broth (i used more broth than water -- it gives more flavour)
1/2 an onion, chopped fine
3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 tbsp dill, chopped (i keep mine in the freezer so it doesn't go bad)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 a lemon

step 1:
in a pot set to medium heat, add in your oil. when hot, add in your chopped onion and garlic and saute until translucent. then add your chucks of frozen spinach. you can use as much or as little as you like!
step 2: 
once the spinach separates and heats through, add in your rice and water/broth and bring do a boil. cook for ~15 minutes or until rice is done, stirring occasionally. 
step 3: 
at the end of the cooking time, add your chopped dill, lemon juice and stir. sprinkle on some crumbled feta if desired, and there you go!


this goes really well as a side dish to basically anything greek (the flavours are pretty classic) souvlaki, lamb, etc etc. it's also perfectly fine on it's own as a meal! i always have it with a nice piece of feta on the side and a fresh squeeze of lemon on top. yum yum yum!   : )

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

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.