I was in the mood to add a little kick to my quinoa bowl tonight and I choose the Moroccan sauce harissa to help me out. I love the spiciness level of the “Spicy” Mina brand that I buy because it has the perfect amount of heat, but there is still a depth of flavor to it. You aren’t simply setting your mouth on fire for the kick of it. I like to make a batch of a couple of different grains throughout the week and then I portion them into single servings so I can mix and match flavors everyday. Grain bowls can get boring and I like to have some variation, but I don’t always have the desire to make a sauce or dressing. Recently, some of the pepper sauces from other countries have been really amazing at keeping things fresh. I get really excited when I find a new product to try. Of course, I don’t typically just eat the grains and the sauce. Tonight’s starring vegetables were zucchini and mushrooms, plus I had a little parsley left over, so I threw that in. The mushrooms went in raw, but the zucchini was sauteed during meal prep and reheated with everything else in a small pan. Is it technically a one pot meal if everything is already prepped? Who cares… Bowl meals reign supreme around my life. May I never tire of them.
“What does ‘torrentially f*ing pouring’ mean, Food Lady?” – Codee The Condo Atlantic Beach, FL – August 15, 2021
The storm lasted most of the morning, but passed in time for the farmers market at Jack Russell Park. This Sunday market is new, but in the park where the Saturday Market used to be. At least, where it was during most of the pandemic….it’s about a half a mile from where I live. The organizers have had lots of location and schedule changes in the last year and a half. I’m not sure of any of the back story, but I like that our favorite vendor, Kim with Lola Farms, is closer to the condo every other week. We skipped the Saturday market because of the rain, but Codee loves seeing her and hanging out for a bit.
This is getting out of control…😉, Jack Russell Park Atlantic Beach, FL – August 15, 2021
He also loves that the park is still flooded. This was really hilarious and adorable until I started to feel the wrath of the fire ants whose home I had just, unintentionally, destroyed with my shoe. They are SO fast!!!!!! I made a very rapid retreat to the car, which was luckily very close and a straight shot. Super grateful that I threw a towel in the front seat and that Codee was on his long leash, I desperately swatted at them as they continued their frenzied biting. How can something that small move that fast?? At least I don’t seem to have any adverse serious reactions to them…just a bit itchy for a day or so, but ugh, that crawly feeling stays with me for hours!!! Our evening walk was a touch less exciting, but involved a lot more water.
The storms have mostly moved on… Atlantic Beach, FL – August 15, 2021
On The Streets Where I Live:
Neighborhood Love, Beach Blvd. Atlantic Beach, FL – August 15, 2021Neighborhood Love, Oceanwalk Drive Atlantic Beach, FL – August 15, 2021Tree Fish, Beach Blvd. Atlantic Beach, FL – August 15, 2021
Sweating It Out:
It was super fun to be back outside tonight for my 5 miles. The air was still a little heavy, but the earlier cloud cover and time of day made it perfection for me in terms of temperature. I mean, don’t get me wrong…I still looked like I got caught in a simmering downpour when I finished, but it felt amazing
Podcast Of The Day:
While everyone is on a summer break, my standard podcasts are all about advertising for other shows in the form of “Guest Episodes” or “Presents” series. I think I will check out some of the other episodes of Homemade, but I have to say that Leslie Jordan sets the bar a little high. His voice is like an audible hug. I want to eat chicken salad and drink sweet tea on the porch while listening to him tell stories of the old days.
On The Plates:
I’m bored of mentioning my daily green drink, but I’m digging having one less decision to make about what to eat every day. The consistency of my schedule is really fantastic these days and blending the first couple hundred calories of day fits in perfectly. It also helps with my water intake, which I am notoriously bad about regulating. Supper was a grain bowl with quinoa, zucchini, mushrooms, parsley, and the spicy version of the Moroccan red pepper sauce, harissa. I threw a grated up glove of garlic in there, as well, and even though it’s not listed in my food log, some avocado oil. Dinner was some ground pork smothered cabbage that I had in the freezer with a couple of fried eggs. I didn’t photograph it because I dramatically screwed the plating and I think I am going to have the same thing tomorrow anyway.
Cronometer:
It’s the end of Week 2 of my challenge and I have stayed on my calorie goals successfully for both weeks! It’s a nice self esteem boost to say that. Knowing that I have kept in line with what i said I was going to do makes me stand a little taller. Does that sound so silly? Well, maybe, but it’s true. Eating is never just about fuel for me, so like most people, I have a complicated relationship with food. I often turn to it to provide comfort or entertainment and, while that’s not always trouble, it’s so easy for it to become routine….A.K.A. a vicious cycle. This feels so much more balanced… A note from above, not that anyone is critiquing my program here, but I used some avocado oil in the dish that I made for supper. I didn’t note it in the food log because it was leftover from an amount that I logged yesterday…like an oil savings account…😉
Garmin Says:
I missed the bonus point goal, but ended the week content just the same.
Quinoa is such a protein packed grain that I love to keep it stocked in a few places. In the pantry, obviously, but also in the fridge and freezer. Plus, it’s one of those ingredients that is almost better when made in bulk. Then I portion it into single serving containers and stash some in the fridge and some in the freezer. You can cook it in water, but I usually use stock for a little extra in the flavor department. I tend to buy the organic, sprouted variety so I don’t have to “worry” (read:plan for) rinsing and soaking the quinoa. Make sure to check the package cooking directions to see if yours have been rinsed. Mother Nature has given quinoa a bitter protective coating, saponins, so better safe than sorry. The first time I made it, I didn’t know about that part…trust, it’s much tastier when you prep it correctly. 🙂 If I can’t buy it sprouted, soaking quinoa takes no effort, just a bit of planning. I think it tastes better when you soak it. Really getting rid of the saponins that coat it and allowing the grain to breaking down a bit in a little salted, acidic water makes it taste nuttier and seem fluffier, in my opinion. So, I cover quinoa that I have rinsed under tap water in a very fine sieve with about 2 inches of filtered water, a splash of apple cider vinegar, and some sea salt. I let it sit, covered, on the counter overnight. I rinse it thoroughly the next day…until the water runs clear thoroughly…and then I cook it. Soaking it decreases the cooking time and the amount of liquid needed significantly so it was a bit of an adjustment for me when I started doing it. Like most things, there are pros and cons to soaking grains and a big Google hole to fall into if you are interested. There is a ton of conversation kicking around out there about the effect it has on digestion and nutrient absorption, but what I really enjoy about the process is the product.
For this one, I sautéed some sliced cremini mushrooms in a little butter for a few minutes before I added some leftover roasted purple onion and a Roma tomato. I let everything get warmed through before I added the dinosaur kale into the party. As a bonus, most people absorb a little more of the lycopene from tomatoes if you put a little heat to them. Once the kale was wilty, I added in my pre-cooked quinoa and let everything become a team over medium low heat for a few minutes. If you are pulling from a meal prepped fridge, quinoa bowls come together super fast and the combinations are eternal.
