hot and healthy quinoa breakfast bowl

that's right. quinoa. for breakfast. why had i never thought of this before? when it cooks it fluffs up like mad, so it would clearly just be an awesome alternative for your joe shmoe oatmeal or cream of wheat. quinoa is just so much cooler. gluten free and jam packed with nutrition (complete protein, iron, niacin and fibre), quinoa is pretty much just the best way to start your day! it was thick, creamy, filling and ridiculously satisfying! this meal is something i like to call a superfood. it has so many vitamins and minerals its basically a big, delicious dose of health! pecans and almonds added healthy fats, extra protein, tons of antioxidants, 18 essential nutrients and of course, the crunch factor. the ground flax added your daily dose of omega-3 fatty acids, fibre and phytochemicals. cinnamon and nutmeg provide all the manganese you need, blood sugar control and all that nice stuff.

i added quite a bit of cinnamon to my quinoa cause it makes it so much more comforting for those cold, early mornings! also, i used soy because i invited a not-so-milk-loving-but-quinoa-loving friend to taste my little experiment. plus i like that it has all sorts of vitamins, minerals and goodness in it as well. basically, i would add a bit, taste, and adjust to your liking. so, without further ado, here's the recipe!

oh. yeah. my little bowl of comfort, right there!

what you need:
1 cup quinoa
1.5 cups vanilla soy milk (or whatever milk you like)
1/2 cup water
handful chopped pecans
handful chopped almonds
handful of fresh berries (blackberries were the best!)
3 tbsp crushed flax seed
2-3 tsp cinnamon
2 pinches of nutmeg
* if you use regular milk, add 2 tbsp brown sugar to make it sweeter

step 1:
pre-heat oven to 350. put a large pot onto medium high heat. add your water and milk, and wait for it to boil. if your quinoa isn't pre-washed, place it in a sieve under water until it runs clear. once boiling, add your quinoa and cook for ~15 minutes or until big and fluffy or until all the liquid is gone.

bubble bubble bubble

step 2:
chop up your pecans and almonds and toast in the oven for a few minutes. be careful not to burn them! once your quinoa is cooked, stir in your flax, cinnamon, nutmeg and nuts. serve and plop on the berries of your choice!

doesn't that just look glorious?!

this batch made enough to last me the entire week, plus give some to a friend! to reheat, simply scoop in a bowl, add a bit of milk and heat for ~1.5 minutes or until milk starts to bubble. you can use other fruit as well, such as pears, apples, bananas or nectarines! i looooved it with blackberries though. so delicious!

super easy, super quick zucchini pie-quiche thing

my faaaavourite veggie of all time has to be zucchini. it's basically a must have in my fridge! its yummy, cooks quickly and pretty much can be used in anything. this is why i love it so much! anyways, this is a really quick and super delicious dish that i discovered this summer while staying at my yiayia's house. christina and i both ate massive, massive, massive amounts of this over the summer. it was an issue. buuut now i have the recipe.. which makes it a bigger issue. it's pretty healthy so that makes it a bit better i guess...?

mmm goldeny brown ooey-gooey bits

what you need:
2 large zucchini
6 eggs
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint and parsley
spring onion (i omitted this... not a fan!)
1.5 cups flour
1 cup low fat grated cheese

step 1:
pre-heat oven to 350. dice your zucchini into small, bite sized pieces. chop your parsley, mint, and spring onion.
step 2:
mix all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl and pour into a baking dish. cook for ~35 minutes, or until nice and golden brown.

i had mine with avocado and sriracha sauce!

that's it! see how easy it was? you can eat it warm or cold (i personally prefer it cold) and made enough for 4-5 servings.

ingredient of the week: greek yogurt

here we are again with another installment of ingredient of the week! i have been looking for greek yogurt for suchhh a long time in vancouver. they didn't have it at the two or three grocery stores that i usually go to, but luckily on a grocery adventure with the english girl in bc, i stumbled upon a brand i had never tried before - greek god's yogurt. now, that was kind of scary because i have tried some that have literally - i mean literally - tasted like barf. all acidy and just nasty. but i tried this one anyways. they didn't have the low-fat version at the grocery store which was fine with me.. i was just happy i found some. but, if possible the non-fat or lower-fat versions are best, mostly because the regular version is high in fat. although not the bad kind of fat, i'd rather just go for the lighter option!

this brand defs did not taste like barf  : )

so, greek yogurt is way, way different than regular yogurt. first off, it's strained three times so that most of the liquid whey is gone. this means you get double (!!) the amount of protein compared to normal yogurt. higher protein content (in any food) means that you can stay full and satisfied longer, this is why it's one of my favourite breakfasts!

since greek yogurt is not treated with heat (most regular yogurt is), more of the lactobacterial cultures can survive to make it into your gut. once there, they work hard to improve your digestive health by keeping you regular and reducing diarrhea. they also aid in the absorption of essential vitamins, minerals, protein, fats and carbs, and help produce amino acids, b-vitamins and vitamin k. basically, you need these 'good' bacteria in your diet to keep you healthy.

another point is that greek yogurt is low in sugar (about half the sugar content compared to regular unsweetened non-fat yogurt). because of the three-straining process, most of the natural sugar is removed.
oh yeah, and of course, it has lots of Ca²⁺. 

anyways, i like greek yogurt becaue it can be substituted as a healthier version for many higher-fat items such as mayo, sour cream, buttermilk, whole-milk and whipped cream. plus you don't need to worry about it curdling if you heat it up. here are two ways which i enjoyed my greek yogurt today:

greek honey and greek yogurt: the best breakfast of all time

this morning i had a nice scoop of yogurt with my greek honey. it's quick, light, nutritious and kept me full right through my class until 12:30. i loooovveee it.

midday smoothie with greek yogurt

i also made a smoothie before lunch.
what you need:
1 cup organic apple juice
1 fresh banana
2 heaping handfuls of frozen strawberries
1 handful mango or peaches
1 tsp ground flax (i bought regular seeds then pulsed them in the actual blender - money saver!)
1 tbsp greek yogurt

step 1: 
combine all and blend!

i also really like using greek yogurt in tzatziki, salad dressings, marinades (makes the meat super tender), sauces and dips etc etc. it's super versatile, you can basically use it in anything!

welcome back, sunshine

hello everybody, sorry for my hiatus on posting. exams were not so fun, profs can be mean some times! christmas break was also pretty crazy, but i got to hang out with my sisters quite a bit so that was good. but now i'm back at UBC and i've got to to really well this term. there's been some crazy stuff going on at home, so i decided to only take 4 courses this semester. more time to study, stay calm and hopefully get better grades! unfortunately this means i will have to do summer school, but only for the very first semester (may to june).

anyways, the days of 7AM alarms are over! no more 8AM classes for me  : )  so today i don't have class till 3 so i was able to sleep in, and oh my god it was glorious! i woke up and the sun was shining and i could actually see vancouver island from my flat! in honour of the sun, i decided to have a smoothie for breakfast. it's been the first in a while because it got really cold and tea and hot chocolate took over my life. well, hot chocolate still is haha. anyways, here's my nommy breakfast smoothie!

bright and tangy smooooothie  : )

what you need:

organic apple juice (i used some out of a juice box)

1 large frozen banana

2 big handfuls of strawberries

1 big handful of mango

if you have it, a scoop of whey or soy protein

step 1:

combine all ingredients into blender, and pulse until smooth! drink up  : )

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!