Ok, to the point!
The biggest reason I do this blog, is to help myself to be accountable for the things I am eating. I am a fat ass. I openly and freely admit it! I love food; and not all the food I love is healthy. Burritos, Chinese takeout, burgers, corn dogs, pizza, pasta!! The list could go on and on!
I also completely despise working out. I'm not even really sure why, to be honest; but its a chore, and I dread it, and I gripe about it every time I do it. The yoga I love to do is no longer enough on its own. I prefer to curl up on my couch with a good book, and a snack. I could so very easily weigh 500 pounds. But I dont. I dont, because I cannot stand myself (another admission there, if you're keeping count). I weigh a bit more than I ought to at the moment, although my genetics are good enough that I don't look as big outside as I do in my head. I gained a ridiculous amount of weight while pregnant with my precious Pixie; it was uncontrollable, and the Dr. and I believe it was related to my thyroid issues. Sadly, due in part to health issues, and in (larger) part, to said fat ass-ness, I havent lost as much of that baby weight as I wanted to.
So here I am, doing heavy cardio 3 days a week, yoga 3 days a week, light walking 7 days a week, and eating the healthiest I've ever eaten in my life. It gets easier as I go along, although if looks could kill, the treadclimber at the gym would be a smoking heap of rubble by now.
Healthy eating is the easiest part. Even though I occassionally get cravings for chile rellenos, taco bell, pizza, and mac n cheese; I have been able to indulge myself in small amounts, and still stick with the Paleo concept 95% of the time. The thing about eating a on a Paleo diet, is that if you're not careful (and creative) you get bored! People form habits, thats just how we are, and forming food habits is so super easy. It is easy to get in the habit of eating a salad every weekday for lunch, drinking coffee and eating oatmeal every day for breakfast, and digging through the fridge for...wait for it....more salad for dinner! I quite adore salad actually; I love to load it up with lots of fresh veggies, and a little drizzle of light ranch dressing...but I cannot eat that for even one meal every day. I would end up despising salad.
I can't take that. My food attention span is that of a 2 year old who has 5 toys to choose from; all of 10 seonds. I have to have variety in the foods Im eating, or I get bored, and reach for the easy, tasty solutions provided by fast food restaurants (basically I fall off the healthy eating wagon). As you may imagine, however, buying a wide variety of foods can get very pricey, very quickly. Therefore, I am a huge fan of foods that can perform in versatile ways (finally, the point of this post!!!). Things like cauliflower, that can act as a potato, macaroni pasta, soup, even as a sauce base (look for my Alfredo experiment coming soon). Greek yogurt can take the place of mayonaisse, sour cream, or dressings.
And....Quinoa. Yep, quinoa; which I have no problem promoting, because (while not strictly Paleo) it is not a processed, refined grain! At least not if you buy the right kind. Quinoa can be added to soups to make them heartier, it can enhance a salad, and it can be a dish all on its own. Quinoa is wonderful at absorbing the flavor of the ingredients you pair it with, while still maintining a hearty taste of its own. And a little bit goes a long way.
Tonight I made a Tomato Basil Quinoa, which was pinned on Pinterest by a friend of mine, with raving reviews. It also appealed to me since I was looking for recipes using fresh basil, because my plant has been getting a little out of hand. It really was fantastic. A comfort food (because of course it's snowing again), without settling like a brick in your stomach. The super fresh ingredients gave it such a depth of flavor. And (one of my very favorite parts of cooking) it was enough to have some leftovers!
Tomato-Basil Quinoa
a Pink Parsley Original
Ingredients:
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 C water
1 C quinoa, rinsed and drained
2/3 C fresh shredded Parmesan cheese
1-2 tomatoes, cored, seeded, and diced
2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil (remember not to chop until you are ready to use it!)
Directions:
Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about one minute. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the tomato sauce and water to the saucepan and stir in the quinoa. Bring to boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat, cover, and cook until the quinoa is tender but still chewy, and white spiral-like threads appear around each grain, about 15 minutes.
Remove from heat and allow to sit about 5 minutes. Stir in the Parmesan cheese, tomatoes, and basil, and season with salt and pepper if necessary.
Serve warm.
Leftovers can be reheated, or eaten cold (it was very good!)
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