portobello love

i'm really starting to fall for a mushroom called potobello. you may know i've been sneaking mushrooms into my diet for a while now, and one day i decided to give these babies a go! haven't looked back since. one of my favourite ways to eat these is to stuff them - you can pretty much throw anything on them and they'll still be delicious! they're quick, easy and perfect for a meatless monday meal.

om nom nom!

what you need:
3 portobello mushrooms
1/2 a yellow onion
1 tsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic
large handful of spinach (i added loads cause i love spinach!)
1 red pepper
small-ish chunk of feta
1/4 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes
salt and pepper

step 1:
preheat oven to 400 C. start with the filling: bring a pan to medium heat, add in your olive oil. dice the onion and saute until translucent, then add the crushed garlic. then add your chopped red pepper, sun dried tomatoes and spinach and saute until wilted.
step 2:
while the filling is cooking, prep the mushroom caps. use a fork to scrape the gills off, and cut off the stem (feel free to finely shop the stem and add to the mix!) place on a baking sheet lined with foil, and bake for ~10 minutes.
step 3:
when your filling is done, take the mushrooms out of the oven. fill them with the mix and place them back into the oven until done, ~ 10 more minutes. serve!

these are veggie stuffed portobellos, you can easily add quinoa or meat (sausage works well) to the mix as well! so versatile :)

cauliflower mash

I'M THE WORST BLOGGER IN THE WORLD. yes, yes. i have teased you. i keep saying i'm back and ready to blog and i cook all this awesome food, forget to take photos, and then never blog about it. i know. i'm so lame. anyways, back to it.
        first off (and most related to food), i've started thinking i may be sensitive to gluten. YES, yes you read that right. this pasta and bread loving chick is possibly semi-allergic to that little protein called gluten *cries*. so, i'm trying a short-term elimination/low carb diet to see how things go. things so far are all good, but man, it's hard to get rid of gluten! it's in a surprising amount of food items, and not all of them are just starches! (think: soy sauce, flavoured drinks, sauces: gravies, salad dressing, condiments, marinades... oh my!)

cauliflower mashed potatoes - seriously better than the real thing!

       part of this experiment meant upping my veggie intake and creating foods that have a similar texture to my much missed carbs. first on the list was cauliflower mash - i've seen this loads of places and thought i should give it a go! it turned out SO WELL - maybe even better than real mashed potatoes! it is a bit of work but this recipe makes a big batch so it will last you quite a while!

you will need:
1 large head of cauliflower
1 tbsp margarine
1 tsp paprika
salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic (if you want a garlic mash, leave out if you would like plain)
1/2 cup skim milk

step 1:
bring a large pot of water to the boil. cut up your cauliflower into chunks, place in the pot and cook until tender, approximately 5 minutes.
step 2:
strain the cauliflower and transfer to a food processor, add the margarine, paprika, salt and pepper and garlic if desired. while pulsing, slowly add in your skim milk until mix is smooth. you may need to add more depending on the size of cauliflower. DONE! that's it, easy peasy :)

eva's awesome salsa!

everyone in my life knows that i'm super picky with my salsa and like it to be authentic and NOT CHUNKY. i hate a chunky salsa. making your own salsa is SO EASY i don't know why i didn't think of it sooner! not only that, this way i can adjust chunky-ness and the spiciness! this recipe makes a LOT of servings, like, and entire blender of servings. i also am on the fence about cilantro so only added a very small amount to appease my family, so if you like it, double or triple the amount i added!

what you need:
1 28oz can diced tomatoes (low-sodium is good, even better is using fresh tomatoes: 8 or 9 depending on the size)
1 4oz can of fire roasted tomatoes
1 jalapeno (i suggest adding a few chunks at a time, spiciness in raw japalenos varies quite a bit!)
1/4 yellow onion
4 cloves of garlic
10 cilantro leaves
juice of 1-2 limes
1.5 tsp cumin
salt and pepper

step 1:
drain both cans of tomatoes of their liquid. i finely diced my cilantro prior to putting it in the food processor (due to loathing it), you can just add it straight in if you like. add onion, garlic, jalapeno, and the 28 oz tin of tomatoes and pulse a few times till combined.
step 2: 
add the 4 oz can of tomatoes, lime juice, salt and pepper, and cumin and pulse until all combined. taste, and make any adjustments necessary.



and thats it! serve with chips, use as dressing in taco salad or on top of eggs in the morning :)

perfect summer side

orzo = love. roasted veg = love. so why not combine them? that's exactly what i did in my roasted vegetable orzo salad. nothing too exciting, but with good, basic flavours. you really can't go wrong. this is a very versatile recipe that can be made with an array of veggies (mushrooms, asparagus, tomatoes, onions, etc), you can any add fresh herbs and it can be served warm or cold! soooo many options!

what you need:
1 globe eggplant, cut in cubes
1 zucchini, sliced
2 bell peppers of any colour (i used red and yellow)
1/4 cup of sun dried tomatoes
1.5 cups orzo (whole wheat if you can)
nice hunk of feta cheese
juice of 1 lemon
olive oil
salt + pepper

step 1:
preheat oven to 400. i like to cut and salt my eggplant for ~30 minutes, but you don't have to. next, go ahead and chop all veggies in bite sized pieces, toss on baking trays with some olive oil and roast till caramelized, approximately 40 minutes, turning once.
step 2:
while your veggies are roasting, cook the orzo according to package instructions, drain, and put into a large bowl. cut your sun dried tomatoes into small pieces, and add to the bowl.
step 3:
once your veggies are done cooking, add them to the bowl along with the orzo. add a squeeze of lemon juice, a little olive oil, salt and pepper and toss.
step 4: 
when ready to serve, crumble some feta cheese over the top, and voila!


makes ~5 servings
i've eaten this alone for dinner, but would be great along with some grilled souvlaki and tzatziki! 

ingredient of the week: spinach

oh, hey there! here's another installment of ingredient of the week! this time it's spinach. i know, i know, why the hell would i want to eat spinach? well. for one, it's full of iron and i'm anemic.. soo... that's just a match made in heaven. two, it's so versatile! it can be eaten raw or cooked, and it wilts down super small so you can fit lots of it into one portion, magnifying the amount of nutritiony goodness! now who doesn't like that? so, how do i like to eat my spinach? well... usually any salad i have has spinach in it, cause in my case, you can never get enough iron. i also love adding it to my morning fritattas!

spinach fields forever

nutrition wise, spinach is pretty much a superfood. its super high in vitamin k, a, e, b2&6 and c, manganese, folate, calcium and iron, not to mention has tons of fibre, some omega-3s and is super low in calories. along with all these, spinach is also full of health promoting phytonutrients such as carotenoids (beta-carotene, lutein etc) and flavanoids which provide powerful antioxidant protection. these function as anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer agents and reduce free-radical damage all over the body. spinach also has certain antioxidants that help prevent eye problems including macular degeneration, blindness in the elderly and cataracts. sooooo i eat spinach a lot of ways, but this time i decided to make a soup. it's uber important that you have a nice big piece of crunchy, delicious bread with this!

spinach and sweet pea soup

what you need:
1 9oz package of spinach
2 cups of frozen peas
1 onion
1 carrot
1 celery stalk
2 tbsp olive oil
3 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable stock
2 pinches of nutmeg
salt and pepper
1 tbsp cayenne pepper (less if you don't like it spicy!)
1/3 cup skim milk 
* optional: 1 package of crimini mushrooms

step 1:
put a big pot on medium heat and add in your oil. while that's heating up, dice your onion, celery and carrot and add in. let that cook down for ~15 minutes. once the onion is translucent, add your spinach, stirring to help wilt it down.
step 2:
once wilted, add in your broth frozen peas, cayenne, nutmeg, salt and pepper. let that simmer away for ~15 minutes. in the meantime, if you want, sautee mushrooms. these just added an extra depth of flavour to the soup.
step 3:
once your soup is done, set it aside and let cool for a bit. ladle out ~1 cup of the broth so you can adjust the thickness of the soup. carefully blend the soup in batches until nice and smooth. if it needs to be thinned, add the extra broth. add the soup back to the pot to heat and pour in milk. this just makes it nice and creamy.

enjoy!

falafel me crazy

falafel. delicious middle eastern fast food. i love it. it's awesome. so, why not attempt to make a healthier (aka baked not fried) version at home? doesn't seem too hard to make, non? well. it drove me crazy. absolutely crazy. this was possibly the biggest kitchen fail i've had to date! not the actual falafel. that actually turned out really really well, it was just the falafel making process.

here's a story for ya. we have small food processor. as i found out in the middle of prep, it is so old it doesn't work. so what do you do to fix this? blend it. well, that sort of helped.. but it started making chickpea soup. basically, i spent 2 hours mushing up and chopping through the mix so it was smooth enough to make falafel with. pleaaase have a food processor that works if you make this. please. i beg you.

crispy, fluffy, yummy!

what you need:
1 can of chickpeas
1 small onion
3 tbsp chopped parsley (and cilnatro but i left it out cause i loathe it)
4 cloves garlic
3 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt and pepper
4 tbsp whole wheat flour

step 1: 
pre-heat oven to 400. in a food processor, combine chickpeas, roughly chopped onion, garlic, parsley, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper and blend until well chopped, but not pureed together. sprinkle on the baking powder and flour and pulse a few more times.

try to get your mixture smoother than this. my arm was clearly too tired..

step 2:
scoop a small amount of the mixture into your hand and try to shape into a ball. if it falls apart, add more flour to the mix.

it should look something like this

step 3: 
press down and place into an oiled oven-safe dish. bake for 10 minutes each side or until nice and golden brown! they were still crispy on the outside, and fluffy on the inside, without frying them!

these freeze really well! after you've rolled and squished them, just place them in a ziploc bag and lay flat in your freezer. you can eat them plain, dip them in tzatziki (recipe to follow!), or you can put it in a pita like i did. so yummy!

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: eggplant

ok folks! blog is seriously up and running again with a new installment of ingredient of the week! this time its eggplant. oh glorious, tender, buttery eggplant! i must admit, i wasn't a big fan of eggplant until quite recently. same with a lot of things though, which is good i guess! olives are still off the list of edible food in my mind though, and i'm positive they will stay there for a very, very long time. yuck. anyways, yes, back to eggplant. i really think it's one of the most attractive, yummy, i-want-to-eat-you-right-meow vegetable/fruit things out there. it helps that i love love love love the colour purple, especially aubergine!

before we get started on some health benefits, lets talk about a random fact. eggplant, as everyone knows, is quite bitter due to the little seeds. why? because - who woulda thought - eggplant is a close relative of tobacco, and the seeds contain nicotine! ... kind of gross!aaanyways, health stuff! yes! that's why we're here! eggplants are full of vitamins and minerals, such as potassium, manganese, copper, folate, niacin, vitamin B1 and B6, as well as having a high dose of good ol' dietary fiber. yum yum! it's also super low in calories, approximately 27 per cup! all that goodness in so little calories? oh count me in!

oooooh preeetttyyyyyy

on the larger scale, eggplant play a key role in living a healthy life. first off, it's great for your cardiovascular health. basically, compounds in eggplant lower the amount of cholesterol in the artery walls, allowing them to relax. this means better blood flow to the heart and to the body. and, as you may have guessed from it's colour, eggplant has lots and lots of antioxidants and phytonutrients, specifically nasunin, which is found in the skin of the fruit. this is a potent free-radical scavenger and protects cells from damage, as well as having antiangiogenic properties (YOU MUST WATCH THIS TEDTALK). basically, that means it can slow down/prevent cancer tumor growth by cutting off angiogenesis (the growth of new blood vessels from pre-existing ones)

earlier this week i made a slightly edited version of my yiayia's lebanese eggplant stew, called menazzaleh. her version was very simple, and i wanted to add a few more spices to give it some depth. i also have decided to change a few things in the recipe since making it. anyways, this is what i came up with!
(sidenote: i must apologize for the crap photos. the lighting in my basement apartment isn't very good. i swear, most of the stuff i post from now on will taste better than it looks!)

looks crap, tastes delicious!

what you need:
3 medium eggplant (dark purple variety)
1 can of chickpeas + some liquid
5 tomatoes (you can use canned as well)
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 onion, sliced thin
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp cinnamon (even if you don't like cinnamon in savory food, just put a little sprinkle. it adds so much depth to the dish!)
pinch of nutmeg
2.5 cups chicken stock

step 1:
preheat oven to 300. cut eggplant into bite sized chunks. my yiayia cut them in rounds, but it made the cooking process so long that bite sized is definitely easier. lay on a sieve and sprinkle on some salt. add paper towel between the layers to soak up extra liquid. leave for 15 - 30 mins.
step 2:
while waiting for your eggplant, slice your onion thin and start sauteing in a large pan with some olive oil. i like my onion very caramelized, but you can take it as far as you like. by this point, you can wash off your eggplant, put them in an oven safe dish with a little olive oil and bake for ~30 minutes, depending on the size.
step 3:
once your onions are done, add in your chopped garlic and saute until fragrant, then add your tomatoes, stock and chickpea liquid. cook this down for ~10 minutes. add in your chickpeas, turmeric, nutmeg, paprika and cumin, and stir everything to combine and cook for another 15 minutes.
step 4: 
once your eggplant is done, add into the pan with the other ingredients and sprinkle your cinnamon on top. at this point, i layered eggplant, then chickpea mix into an oven safe dish to bake, buuut forgot to buy some kefalotyri so it was pointless. you can just leave it in the pan to finish stewing for another 20 minutes or until chickpeas are tender. then you're done! serve with brown rice.

yum yum yum

do you have any kin-oh-aaaahh?

i remember the first time i wanted to buy quinoa. i had watched countless dr. oz and the doctors episodes and new all the ridiculous nutrition info about the ancient, and quite hard to find, grain. so, my dad and i set out to the grocery store to search for some. we looked and looked, and couldn't find it anywhereee, even in the local healthy organic food store! eventually, my dad decided to ask an employee where we could get some.

  dad:  "hey, do you have any kin-oh-aaaaah?"

  guy:  "uuumm...... what is that?"

  me:   "a grain type thing?"

  guy:  "ok, let me ask someone"

  2 minutes later

  new guy:  "what are you looking for?"

  dad:   "kin-oh-aaaaah"

  new guy:  "you mean, keen-wah?"

  me:  "YES" 

  new guy: *walks 2 steps* "its right here!"

  dad + me:  *facepalm*

and that everyone, was the epic angelopoulos search for kin-oh-aaaaah. and now my dad knows how to pronounce it properly (i of course knew how to say it, but thought it was funnier watching my dad haha).

aaaanyways. yes. so i've already done an ingredient of the week on quinoa (here) so i'll save you all that boring health information. all you really need to know is that its awesome and it has lots of protein. i bought a massiiiveee bag of organic quinoa from costco, and finally put some of it to use! this may come as a surprise to many of you, but i've started to like new things. mushrooms are one of them! this was my very first time cooking them, which was quite exciting! so, this was ridiculously tasty considering i made it up off the top of my head. man, i'm good! anyways, here's my asian inspired vegetarian quinoa pilaf.

doesn't look like much, but man, it was awesome!

what you need:
2 cups of quinoa *pre-washed
1 package of extra firm tofu
olive oil for cooking
1 package of mushrooms
1 red pepper
1 package of snap or snow peas
1 onion
1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
3 tsp ginger
4 cloves of garlic
1 tsp cayenne pepper
4 cups low sodium chicken stock

step 1:
cut your tofu into small bite sized pieces. place in a dish with the soy sauce and ginger. set aside and let marinade for ~30 minutes, stirring occasionally. finely dice your onion and saute in a large saucepan on medium heat. while that's browning, slice your mushrooms into small bite sized pieces and saute in a separate pan until nice, brown and tender.
step 2:
chop your garlic and add to the onions, cook till aromatic and then add in your diced red pepper. let this cook down until the peppers are tender. when mushrooms are done, add to the pot along with chicken stock, cayenne pepper, tofu and any extra marinade and of course, the quinoa.
step 3:
the quinoa should take about 15 minutes to cook, so while that's going, whipe down the pan you used to cook the mushrooms in, and place on medium heat. slice the ends of the snap peas off, cut in half and put in the pan. add 1/2 cup water and steam them. when they reach a nice, bright green, strain and put in an ice bath.
step 4:
you'll know the quinoa is finished cooking cause it puffs up A LOT. add the snow peas to your dish, scoop on some pilaf, and enjoy!

yummy yummy! made ~6 servings

ingredient of the week: garlic

well.... it's been a very, very long time since our last ingredient of the week! my life has been pretty crazy for the last few weeks... so i haven't really been focusing on the blog. but i have been cooking some pretty epic food (that's my way of dealing with stress!) slowly but surely they will be popping up here! so for this installment of ingredient of the week, i chose garlic. love love love love love love love. i can't get enough garlic. some people don't like it raw or find it way too overpowering, but i just love it. i mean, who doesn't like waking up with garlic breath in the morning? or having their hands smell like garlic for 2 days?! well.. i don't exactly like those parts but you just gotta put up with it! in fact, my duvet actually smells like garlic. it's an issue. doesn't exactly put me to sleep...

anyways. yes, garlic. we all love it. so let's talk about why you should eat more of it! garlic is a cardiac savior. first, garlic is rich in sulfur-containing compounds such as thiosulfinates and sulfoxides, which give it that distinct smell, as well as most of it's nutritional benefits. one benefit of these compounds is that they dilate our blood vessels, helping our blood pressure stay under control. they do this by blocking the activity of angiotensin II (man, never thought HKIN 191 would ever come in handy!!). angiotensin II is a peptide protein that helps out blood vessels contract (then causing blood to be forced through a smaller space, increasing the pressure). by blocking this, the sulfur-containing compounds found in garlic can minimize the unecessary contractions of our blood vessels and therefore the unwanted increased blood pressure.

good for your health, and keeps away vampires  : )

another health benefit from these compounds is lowering of our triglyceride and our total cholesterol levels. but, the major cardiac benefit that these compounds provide is cardioprotection, meaning they protect our blood cells and blood vessels from inflammatory and oxidative stress (ie: damage). basically, highly reactive oxygen molecules wreak havoc on the linings of our pretty little arteries and veins. this damage can cause plaque to form which, in turn, can lead to heart attacks and atherosclerosis. the sulfur-containing compounds found in garlic minimize this by inhibiting the activity of inflammatory causing mechanisms in the oxygen molecules. another compound, ajoene, helps to prevent clots from forming inside our blood vessels by preventing platelets in our blood to become too sticky. ajoene helps maintain a kind of "stickiness homeostasis", if you will.

ok, time for a change! let's stop the cardiac talk -- garlic also has amazing anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal properties, and has been used throughout all of history for treating illness! various compounds in freshly crushed garlic show huge benefits in controlling infection from worms, yeasts, bacteria and viruses. they've been used on burn victims, stomach ulcers, and on bacterial infections that are not responding to antibiotics. that's pretty awesome if you ask me! i really could go on about antioxidants, vitamin C, selenium, anti-inflammatory/arthritic properties, increased iron metabolizing properties, cancer prevention etc, etc. that garlic provides... but i'm tired of writing. basically, garlic is a superfood when it comes to your health, and if you're not eating it.. then you better start! it basically cures everything!

so, now onto the meal i used an epic amount of garlic in. i made a traditional greek lentil soup called Φακές/fakes (pronounced fah-KESS). yes. yes, i know. it sounds like fuckers. ha ha ha ha. but of course, that's not what the old greek ladies are saying! anyways, its quite an easy recipe to make, all you have to do is chop and let cook!

fakes lentil soup: simple flavours, but delicious!

what you need:
1 1/2 cups of brown lentils
1 onion, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
8 cloves of garlic, sliced
2 potatoes, cubed
4 cups water/chicken broth (i used half of each)
2 bay leaves
2 tsp oregano
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1-2 tbsp red wine vinegar

step 1:
after sifting through the lentils for rocks and twigs, put them into a large pot and cover with water. bring to a boil and cook for ~15 minutes. while this is cooking, take the time to chop up all of your ingredients. when cooking time is up, strain into a collander.
step 2:
in the same pot, add olive oil and saute your onions until translucent. add in the celery and cook down for a few minutes. add your sliced garlic, bay leaves, oregano, potatoes, tomato paste and water/broth. let simmer for ~30 minutes, stirring frequently, or until lentils are soft.
step 3:
ladle into a bowl and spoon the red wine vinegar on top. this may seem weird to people who haven't tasted this before, but you need to add this. it lifts the entire dish to a new level! and of course, soak up the liquid with a nice piece of crispy bread! enjoy!

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!   : )

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

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  : )

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.

indian style burrito

here's what's up. i just made the best leftovers, and am so excited!! i know i just put up the recipe for dahl earlier today, but i'm gonna show you how i used it to make the best dinner evveerrr - what i call an indian style burrito. simply delishhh.

sooo goooood  : )

indian style burrito. what the hell? well, i substituted the tortilla for a pita pocket (also less calories), the salsa would be the dahl (thus why i left it cold) the veggies would be like the lettuce or the tomato, and the eggs are like the meat/beans. it's just epic.

so, here's how you do it!

you will need:

1/2 a whole wheat pita pocket

2 tbsp leftover dahl

1/2 tsp garam masala

1 tsp curry powder

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp chili flakes

1 tsp olive oil

splash of low sodium, low calorie chicken broth

1/2 a green pepper

1/4 a zucchini 

1/4 onion

2 cloves of garlic

1 or 2 eggs

1/2 tsp butter/margarine

step 1:

dice zucchini and green pepper, finely chop onion and crush garlic.

step 2:

in a medium sized pan set to medium heat, add oil. when hot, add in the garlic and onion. cook stirring constantly until onion is translucent. then add in spices and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

step 3: 

add in zucchini and green pepper. add a little chicken broth, and cook for 10 minutes. at this point, get a separate, smaller pan and prepare it for your eggs. set to medium heat and add in some margarine/butter. 

step 4: 

when veggies are soft, crack your eggs into a small bowl and whip them. if you like, you can add milk to make them fluffier. add eggs into small pan and scramble them. 

step 5: 

once eggs are cooked, take the pita pocket and open it. add a layer of dahl. (i left it cold, but you can heat it up if you want)

layer of dahl

step 6:

on top of the dahl, add a layer of eggs.

layer of eggs

step 7:

add the curried veggies on top of the eggs. voila!

layer of curried veggies.

note: if you open your pita pocket and the sides are particularly thin, be careful while adding the dahl, it will cause one side to become soft. you can add in any veggies you want, i just had the green pepper and zucchini handy.

i will definitely be having this again tomorrow, either for dinner or for lunch. it turned out SO GOOD!! so people, you now have another reason to make the dahl - so you can experience the awesome indian style burrito.

roald dahl

i've always loved indian food: the curries, the spices and the spiciness! not to mention, indian food can be super healthy. in fact, according to health.com's article, World's Best Superfoods, indian sits at a comfortable 5 out of the 10 healthiest ethnic cuisines in the world (who sits at 1? you guessed it. greek). this is mainly due to the spices found in indian cooking, such as turmeric, ginger, cumin and cardamom.

spices featured heavily in indian cuisine

the majority of these spices have cancer fighting properties and anti-inflammatory properties. research is being done on turmeric and garlic, as evidence suggests they can help prevent Alzheimer's Disease (rates of the disease in india are 4 times lower than those in america). indian cuisine also heavily features chickpeas, beans and lentils as super, super healthy alternatives to fatty meats for their large vegetarian population.

so, since i love lentils so much (tasty and really healthy), i decided that i should test my curry-ing skills and attempted to make dahl, a spicy lentil curry. i wanted to change the recipe to make it healthier by adding lots of veg. so let's call this eva's super-healthy-vitamin-and-mineral-and-iron-rich dahl. so, here's the recipe!

you will need:
~ 1 1/2 cups of lentils (i used red and i put in a bit extra, but any kind will do)
4 cups water 
1/2 an onion
3 cloves of garlic
3 tsp curry powder (or to taste - i used a lot)
1 1/2 tsp cumin (i know, there's cumin in the curry powder, but i like it so i added extra)
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp chilli flakes (i added extra cause i like it spicy)
1/2 tsp ginger
2 tsp garam masala (or to taste)
1 tsp olive oil
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
4 celery sticks
1 large green and red pepper (i used 1 1/2 of each cause i had some from the day before)
1 small/medium pack frozen spinach

 red, black and green lentils

preparation:
get a tray or large plate, pour the lentils out and sift through them for rocks or twigs.
chop onions fine, dice veggies, crush garlic and take spinach out of the freezer.

step 1:
in a large pot, heat olive oil on medium heat. when ready, add in garlic, ginger and onions. cook, stirring often for 5 minutes until onions are translucent
step 2:
once onions are translucent, add in all spices and cook for a 2 more minutes, stirring often.
step 3: 
add in celery, green and red pepper and tomatoes (with liquid) and stir together. cook for 10 minutes.
step 4:
once veggies have softened a little, add the water and the lentils. turn the temperature down to low, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes.
step 5:
add in the frozen spinach and cook for 10 more minutes or until the desired consistency is reached. if needed, add more water.

to serve:
i served the dahl on the leaves of  iceberg lettuce, but it can also be served with brown rice or naan.

dahl served on lettuce leaves

side note: this dahl recipe makes TONS, and it freezes really well. i kept half for the week, and froze the other half for later.

soupa trahana

this is one of my favourite greek soups. it's simple, hearty and perfect for a cold, rainy fall day. this is the first time i've made this on my own, from my yiayia's (ya-YAH) recipe. i have to say, it didn't turn out too bad! i did change a couple things from the original recipe. i used low-sodium, low-calorie broth, i used skim milk, i added more tomatoes, and i only used a bit of feta. while i could have gone with a low-fat feta, i felt that a really good quality cheese was just worth it to splurge.

trahana soup

now, τραχανά (trah-hah-NAH). what the hell is that, you ask? to be honest, i'm not reaaallyy sure. it's some type of cracked wheat thing, but all i know is that it's super super tasty! you can find it at any mediterranean specialty shop, along with some really good feta. we brought back 5 pounds of the trahana made in my mum's village, Desfina, (english wiki site here) but somehow i forgot it at home. sad. so, instead, i went to Minerva's Mediterranean Deli on west broadway. 

sweet trahana from minerva's

anyways, at minerva's they have sweet trahana (made with milk) and sour trahana (made with yogourt or traditional buttermilk). i literally just stood there for 10 minutes trying to figure out which one to buy. before this, i didn't even know there were 2 types!? well, i'm going to save you those 10 minutes of your life by telling you to get the sweet one. i'm not really sure why they call it sweet, cause it's not sweet at all. so, without further ado, here's the recipe!

you will need:

5 cups water

1/2 cup milk (i used skim)
1 cup stock (i used no soduim stock, the feta adds all the salt you need)
1/2 cup diced tomatoes (i used canned cause that's all i had, and i added extra)
4-5 handfuls of trahana
chunk of feta
step 1:
add water, milk and stock into a large pot and bring to a boil
step 2:
once boiling, add in tomatoes and trahana. cook for 30 minutes, stirring often to avoid trahana sticking to the bottom or sides of the pot

30 minutes into cooking process

step 3:
crumble in the feta cheese and cook for another 30 minutes, stirring often.
step 4:
serve in a bowl, add extra feta cheese on top if desired

enjoy!

accidental vegetarian

i have come to the realization that i have turned into an accidental vegetarian. while i realize this is an almost impossible task for a greek, explained so famously by Aunt Voula in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, i fear it may be true.




how did this monstrosity happen, you ask? well, it all started during my first grocery shop (ever). i was almost finished my shop, when i headed to the meat section of the store and picked up a little package of chicken. as my eyes set upon the price, i almost fainted. $8.00 for a pack of chicken that would last me 3 days?! sacré bleu! while in shock, i placed it in the cart and quickly walked away. scary.

as i wandered aimlessly throughout the rest of the store trying to make sense of this madness, i stumbled upon tofu. the whole world seemed to glow and a string quartet piped up in my head as i reached for a large pack of tofu (enough to last me 6-10 days), for only $2.00!!

now, don't get me wrong, i love my meat (pass me the chicken wings and steak, pleaaaaasee!) but it's so expensive! and as a student, i need to save money where ever possible. yeah, i didn't really need that comfy pillow from ikea, or that warm sweater from h&m, but it just makes more sense to get my protein from a less expensive source.

now, tofu has it's ups and downs. for one, it sucks if it's not seasoned correctly. and when i say correctly, i mean heavily. two, it will never replace a steak or some ribs.

on the upside though, it does contain less calories and fat than meat. while that's not why i choose to eat it, it's never a bad thing! also, you can use tofu in place of meat in many meals. for example: chilli. you can use a soft tofu and crumble it in or, as an alternative to plain tofu, companies have come out with great soy products that look and taste similar to meat. my favourite is Yves Veggie Round Grounds - they look like ground beef, but are veggie friendly. in fact, during the summer i convinced my mother to add it to our yemista - nobody could tell that it wasn't meat!

i don't think i could ever completely give up my steak, chicken wings, roast lamb and ribs. for now though, i will not be eating as much of it as i used to. now, just because i use tofu in some recipes doesn't mean you can't simply replace it with chicken or extra-lean beef. you will find recipes with meat on my blog, although they may be few in numbers, they will be on here!