once again, i'm the worst greek alive

so. i'm really lame. i made tzatziki a looooooong time ago for my greek independence day shindig, which i meant to post up here. and i never did. i also didn't post the dolmathes we made! what is this? how did i forget all that food we had? ugh. blasphemy. how does a greek not share the greekness? that's like, the most important part of being greek. and i fail at it. but whatever. i'm at least giving you the recipe for my tzatziki.. so please don't be too angry greek gods? i'm trying here, ok?

thick and perfect for dipping!

what you need:
500 or 650 g container of greek style yogurt
1 cucumber
3 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp chopped dill
1 lemon
salt and pepper

step 1:
strain the yogurt in a lint free cloth over a bowl for about an hour. if lazy, just use the yogurt as it is. it turns out basically the same. grate your cucumber and squeeze as much liquid out of it as you can.
step 2:
add cucumber to a bowl along with the yogurt, minced garlic, chopped dill, juice of 1 lemon and salt and pepper. taste, and adjust how you like it! i usually add a lot more lemon juice.

yum yum yum 

so that's it! super simple, quick and healthy dip. can be used in pitas with falafels, wraps, on souvlaki.. the list goes on and on!

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  : )

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!

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!

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.