For no other reason than I was completely exhausted by the end of my day today...I went straight up to my room and poured a glass of red wine...it was a rather large glass I might add. Only then could I begin to ponder of what I would like for dinner. It had to be quick easy and comforting.
Today was great at work, I had a project to work on and I felt productive for a good part of the day. However, I also ended up talking with a boss of mine for an hour afterwards and also changed my day off from tomorrow to friday. Which does work out great but I am a creature of routine and the slightest disruption can initially cause me some anxiety, maybe anxiety is too strong of a word but immediately I began thinking of what that meant for my night. It quickly transitioned from a relaxing glass of wine, late dinner and a movie to a desperate glass of wine the quickest dinner I could fix and a sleeping pill because I now have to shower and catch up on emails before I hit the bed and relax before falling asleep.
The worst part of it might not seem bad to you, but it has become a challenge for me...this is the sleeping bit. I feel better when I know I don't have to get up at a certain time in the morning because I am not sleeping well right now and last night was particularly awful so tonight I have to sleep good and that just puts a lot of pressure on the whole getting a good nights rest thing.
Even now, I feel rushed, I am half scarfing down my delicious dinner and typing and thinking of the various thinks I need to still accomplish tonight and will I have time before my 10 o'clock bedtime. It is honestly ridiculous I know, none the less here I am.
So for dinner, once I got a couple of sips of vino in me...I first put on some rice, wild and brown rice mixed together. I use 1 1/4 cup of water for 1/2 of rice and actually by mistake I forgot to turn the stove down once it had boiled and I added the rice and believe it or not the texture actually came out better! This means boil the water...add the rice and let it boil for 11-12 minutes on a high heat. Then, add a little dash of olive oil. Let sit covered in the pot for about 5 minutes if you need to.
What I added to this seemingly plain rice was wonderful! I took a good dollop of olive oil in a sauce pan and added about 2 table spoons of curry paste, have the stove on high heat and add about half a brick of cut up tofu in cubes. Stir this all in, get the tofu covered in the paste and let it sizzle for about 2 minutes. You will smell the aromas and when you do this is time to add the sauce. It is a pre made sauce by Presidents Choice, it is a Korma sauce, blue menu. I added about 1/2 cup of this and then mixed it with about 1/3 cup of water. I then mixed all that in and added a good helping of frozen spinach. Cover it and let it simmer on medium heat for about 10 minutes. Once it is all heated together, take a good chunk of goat cheese and let that melt into the mixture. When that is soft and blended in give it a good stir around and then you are ready to dish up!
Take half of the amount of rice and put it on your plate then add half of this yummy, saucy mixture and add it beside the rice. I had some gluten free blue corn chips which I just put on the side and voila! dinner is served.
The best part of this is that lunch is ready for tomorrow as well. Take what is left over and put it in a tupperware ready to go!
There, two in one and when I put that first bite into my mouth, yes I felt better, I felt my shoulders drop as I savoured the moment and of course chased it with a sip of wine. Absolutely what I needed to finish off the day.
Wednesday, 29 February 2012
Tuesday, 28 February 2012
Someones Trash is Anothers Treasure
As promised, today I did groceries.
I would like to make a side note that this morning I was up at 5:50am, without my alarm...and it was my day off! Of course according to Murphy's Law that could not have happened yesterday when my alarm didn't go off and I was potentially going to be late for work on my third day at the job! Unreal!...now to the food topic.
I shop at two locations, one for my staples, so to speak, and my local organic food market for the fresh stuff. Depending on where you live, where I am, there is a store called the Great Canadian Superstore and that it is...GREAT! I am a very proud supporter of the Presidents Choice brand. If you are not familiar with it and are local I encourage you to check it out. If you, no matter where you are from, don't care then just skip over this next paragraph because I am going to get on my soap box and rave about it for a moment.
The PC brand is incredible...from basic food necessities to gourmet products and even clothes ( called Joe Fresh). I tend to buy the more basic stuff, but even in that there is a product called the Blue Menu which means these items are less sodium and geared towards more healthy eating. PC is the first brand that I look for in all my shopping, except for tuna. This I use Unico because I know it is dolphin friendly and it is packed in soybean oil which I just prefer. I am not familiar with the ethical background of PC tuna and how it is harvested but I have been using Unico for years so that's that. PC even has an organics section. It is definitely worth checking out if you haven't already. The quality and taste is never compromised and it is budget friendly!
Okay now...I did a bit bigger shop than usual just because I wanted to start really well stocked, my receipt at the grocery was $74 and the total cost at the organic market was $17. I am guestimating this should last me about 3 weeks with just a little fresh veg top up at the end of next week and of course I will let you know.
The market that I go to is fabulous. It is little and you grab a wooden basket when you walk in the door and go through the 2 aisles of produce and pick out your veg. They have kale, sweet potatoes and even avocados! I always get my spinach here, although...just as a quick tip...Jamie Oliver said that it is better to cook with frozen spinach than fresh actually and I have to say I have tested it and it is true. I always keep a package of frozen organic spinach in the freezer for just such occasions and use my fresh stuff for salads. I also always get my eggs there. These chickens are feed better than me! It is posted in the market what these little guys get fed and honestly it shocked me! Stuff like kale and spinach and wheat grass! Needless to say there is a definite taste difference. Over the past year and a half I have become increasingly picky with the types of food I eat. I have cut out meat entirely for various reasons but mainly because how most meat (at least meat that I can afford) is fed and raised. I do still eat fish however, so I guess I am not quite a true vegetarian. Anyways just a little FYI for you.
So my treasure today which was found at this little organic market, was the markets next compost addition...very, very ripe avocados. I bought some organic, gluten free blue corn crisps, which was part of my splurge today and when I saw these ripe avocados I was like score! I bought these avocados at discount and turned them into quite a lovely guacamole! What a perfect little treat for later...guac and chips Mmmmm.
So here is what I did...
3 very ripe avocados
2 again, very ripe vine tomatoes
1/4 of a red onion chopped
1 glove of Canadian garlic
I cut the avocados in half and a little trick I learned was to kind of slap the knife into the big pit in the middle and then slightly turn it...the pit will come right out. Don't through it out though..we will use it.
Once I did that I mixed the avocados in a bowl...not too much mixing yet just to get them sort of mushed together. Then add a couple sprinkles of lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder and then your tomatoes, garlic and onion. Mix this all together till it is the consistency you want. I prefer my guac a bit on the chunky side. Then what you do is put the pits back in, just on top and pushed in a little and sprinkle again with some lemon juice. Cover it will plastic wrap...and push the plastic wrap right down to the guac and cover with a lid. I made mine in a tupperware, the plastic wrap just prevents air getting to it and it turning brown.
Let it sit in the fridge for a while too to let the flavours all combine and meet one anther. Tonight it will be that and a glass of red wine, courtesy of Argentina.
Hmmmm, now I am getting hungry after retelling all that...I think its time for a snack!
I would like to make a side note that this morning I was up at 5:50am, without my alarm...and it was my day off! Of course according to Murphy's Law that could not have happened yesterday when my alarm didn't go off and I was potentially going to be late for work on my third day at the job! Unreal!...now to the food topic.
I shop at two locations, one for my staples, so to speak, and my local organic food market for the fresh stuff. Depending on where you live, where I am, there is a store called the Great Canadian Superstore and that it is...GREAT! I am a very proud supporter of the Presidents Choice brand. If you are not familiar with it and are local I encourage you to check it out. If you, no matter where you are from, don't care then just skip over this next paragraph because I am going to get on my soap box and rave about it for a moment.
The PC brand is incredible...from basic food necessities to gourmet products and even clothes ( called Joe Fresh). I tend to buy the more basic stuff, but even in that there is a product called the Blue Menu which means these items are less sodium and geared towards more healthy eating. PC is the first brand that I look for in all my shopping, except for tuna. This I use Unico because I know it is dolphin friendly and it is packed in soybean oil which I just prefer. I am not familiar with the ethical background of PC tuna and how it is harvested but I have been using Unico for years so that's that. PC even has an organics section. It is definitely worth checking out if you haven't already. The quality and taste is never compromised and it is budget friendly!
Okay now...I did a bit bigger shop than usual just because I wanted to start really well stocked, my receipt at the grocery was $74 and the total cost at the organic market was $17. I am guestimating this should last me about 3 weeks with just a little fresh veg top up at the end of next week and of course I will let you know.
The market that I go to is fabulous. It is little and you grab a wooden basket when you walk in the door and go through the 2 aisles of produce and pick out your veg. They have kale, sweet potatoes and even avocados! I always get my spinach here, although...just as a quick tip...Jamie Oliver said that it is better to cook with frozen spinach than fresh actually and I have to say I have tested it and it is true. I always keep a package of frozen organic spinach in the freezer for just such occasions and use my fresh stuff for salads. I also always get my eggs there. These chickens are feed better than me! It is posted in the market what these little guys get fed and honestly it shocked me! Stuff like kale and spinach and wheat grass! Needless to say there is a definite taste difference. Over the past year and a half I have become increasingly picky with the types of food I eat. I have cut out meat entirely for various reasons but mainly because how most meat (at least meat that I can afford) is fed and raised. I do still eat fish however, so I guess I am not quite a true vegetarian. Anyways just a little FYI for you.
So my treasure today which was found at this little organic market, was the markets next compost addition...very, very ripe avocados. I bought some organic, gluten free blue corn crisps, which was part of my splurge today and when I saw these ripe avocados I was like score! I bought these avocados at discount and turned them into quite a lovely guacamole! What a perfect little treat for later...guac and chips Mmmmm.
So here is what I did...
3 very ripe avocados
2 again, very ripe vine tomatoes
1/4 of a red onion chopped
1 glove of Canadian garlic
I cut the avocados in half and a little trick I learned was to kind of slap the knife into the big pit in the middle and then slightly turn it...the pit will come right out. Don't through it out though..we will use it.
Once I did that I mixed the avocados in a bowl...not too much mixing yet just to get them sort of mushed together. Then add a couple sprinkles of lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder and then your tomatoes, garlic and onion. Mix this all together till it is the consistency you want. I prefer my guac a bit on the chunky side. Then what you do is put the pits back in, just on top and pushed in a little and sprinkle again with some lemon juice. Cover it will plastic wrap...and push the plastic wrap right down to the guac and cover with a lid. I made mine in a tupperware, the plastic wrap just prevents air getting to it and it turning brown.
Let it sit in the fridge for a while too to let the flavours all combine and meet one anther. Tonight it will be that and a glass of red wine, courtesy of Argentina.
Hmmmm, now I am getting hungry after retelling all that...I think its time for a snack!
Monday, 27 February 2012
Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures
This morning I awoke to what anyone starting a new job would call a nightmare!
Of course, my cell phone died while I was sleeping and my alarm didn't go off at the set time of 2 hours before I am supposed to be at my desk. Does this sounds familiar?
I awoke very abruptly at 8:25am only 35 minutes before I was to be at work and taking into consideration it is a 30 minute drive...I was screwed and in sheer panic. I didn't even wash my face. I managed to brush my teeth,throw on whatever clothes first jumped out at me when I opened my closet and literally ran out the door.
All being said, I made it for 9am on the dot!! Phew!
My whole day was thrown off though, I didn't get to have breakfast, make a lunch and at the very least prep any sort of dinner! I also had run out of time on the weekend to do groceries so the options in terms of food where limited to say the least.
I had to go out for lunch...surprisingly I wasn't hungry though. Still, I got a falafal and lentil soup from a random vendor downtown. I ate the falafal but then decided to save my soup for dinner. This goes against everything I want to accomplish with this blog...having take out food...that is a no no! But let's admit it...days like these do happen.
To top it off, as I was walking back to the office a pigeon's set of wings, still attached by the bone fell from the sky and almost landed square on some lady's head walking her dog. Completely random I know...I stopped to look at the mangled mess of this dismembered bird and thought, well, where is the rest of the bird?
So, the soup was delightful. I had it with a nice warm cup of boiled ginger root. This is easy to do and so good for your digestion! Honestly it cleans you right out!
Cut about 6-7 dollar size chunks of ginger root, a thickness of about your thumb nail. Put those pieces in a pot of about 6 cups of water and bring it to a boil. Once it boils, just turn the stove off leaving the pot where it is, let it cool and them pour it into a pitcher for storing in the fridge.
What you will do when you want to drink it is add about half and half of the boiled ginger with boiled water and there you have it, a nice comforting, warm, cleansing drink to relax to at the end of a hectic day.
I guess that is it for tonight. Tomorrow I promise to get groceries and offer something requiring more creativity for dinner.
Good night!
Of course, my cell phone died while I was sleeping and my alarm didn't go off at the set time of 2 hours before I am supposed to be at my desk. Does this sounds familiar?
I awoke very abruptly at 8:25am only 35 minutes before I was to be at work and taking into consideration it is a 30 minute drive...I was screwed and in sheer panic. I didn't even wash my face. I managed to brush my teeth,throw on whatever clothes first jumped out at me when I opened my closet and literally ran out the door.
All being said, I made it for 9am on the dot!! Phew!
My whole day was thrown off though, I didn't get to have breakfast, make a lunch and at the very least prep any sort of dinner! I also had run out of time on the weekend to do groceries so the options in terms of food where limited to say the least.
I had to go out for lunch...surprisingly I wasn't hungry though. Still, I got a falafal and lentil soup from a random vendor downtown. I ate the falafal but then decided to save my soup for dinner. This goes against everything I want to accomplish with this blog...having take out food...that is a no no! But let's admit it...days like these do happen.
To top it off, as I was walking back to the office a pigeon's set of wings, still attached by the bone fell from the sky and almost landed square on some lady's head walking her dog. Completely random I know...I stopped to look at the mangled mess of this dismembered bird and thought, well, where is the rest of the bird?
So, the soup was delightful. I had it with a nice warm cup of boiled ginger root. This is easy to do and so good for your digestion! Honestly it cleans you right out!
Cut about 6-7 dollar size chunks of ginger root, a thickness of about your thumb nail. Put those pieces in a pot of about 6 cups of water and bring it to a boil. Once it boils, just turn the stove off leaving the pot where it is, let it cool and them pour it into a pitcher for storing in the fridge.
What you will do when you want to drink it is add about half and half of the boiled ginger with boiled water and there you have it, a nice comforting, warm, cleansing drink to relax to at the end of a hectic day.
I guess that is it for tonight. Tomorrow I promise to get groceries and offer something requiring more creativity for dinner.
Good night!
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