Going bananas over Elvis

Breakfast these days consists of oatmeal with bananas, Nestle Fitnesse cereal with soy milk.  I haven’t cooked an omelet since my surgery, not because I eliminated eggs on my list of things to eat.  It’s more because oatmeal and cereals are no brainer, no fuss way to eat breakfast.  I surely miss having an omelet for breakfast.  It’s one of my favorite breakfast fares…aside from bacon.  But alas, I have omitted any pork, beef from my diet.   I could still eat my omelets, but with less egg yolks (one egg yolk /3 egg whites ratio for a 3 egg omelet).  I have yet to try an alternative, a tofu scramble using an Indian black salt that gives that eggy taste.

But if I wanted something more substantial to last me until lunch time, I would have a sandwich.  And one of my favorite sandwiches is the Elvis sandwich, so-called because this was Elvis Presley’s favorite sandwich. The original recipe has bananas,  peanut butter, butter, bacon & honey.  But since I am on a low fat diet, I tweaked the recipe to cater to my taste and nutritional requirement.  Gone are the bacon & butter.  I use whole wheat bread with raisins, which I love so much.  And since this is already sweet enough for me, I omitted the honey too.  Just plain bananas and reduce fat peanut butter.  Grill on a Teflon pan or in my case, in a cheapipay panini grill to get that toasty texture & pretty grill marks (though most days, I don’t bother with grilling)

Spread peanut butter on one side of a whole wheat raisin bread.  I used reduce fat creamy peanut butter.  The crunchy variant would give more texture. 

Arrange banana slices on top.

How hard can that be? 

This is good with a glass of cold soy milk  :)

Healthy Cooking: Pan Grilled Herbed Chicken Breasts

It’s been two weeks since my surgery.  I can now go up and down the stairs. And that means… I am able to fix & cook my own food.  There were days when I just want to lie in bed, watch cooking shows (this helps in motivating me to cook again) and eat oatmeal or cereal.  There were days when I crave for something sweet.  But overall, things are getting better. I can’t go to work yet so I have to enjoy my laid back life as I recover.  Next month would be hectic.

Last Saturday,  I ventured out and went to work, though not as shooter, but to assist G in our photo booth venture.  G & I decided to make healthy eating a part of life. We agreed that we bring our own food during shoots.  

Most days, I’m online searching for low fat recipes.  It’s been over a month since I had pork or beef.  My protein sources now are chicken (white meat without skin), fish, soy milk, nuts. Though one medical test showed I have high levels of uric acid, my choices became more limited.  Gosh…. Old age is catching up fast on me.

Aside from fat, I had to reduce my sodium intake. So that means, less salt. Less salt = bland, no flavor = boring…. But of course it doesn’t have to!   Herbs can enhance and give flavor to food.

For my first healthy recipe entry, I will feature the chicken dish I cooked for our baon last Saturday, which G liked so much…

For those who know me, I don’t measure when I cook.   Most people find this chicken breast part bland. And seasonings can’t easily penetrate the thick part.  One way is to pound the thick part to flatten a bit and even the meat out before seasoning.  Rubs are also a great way to season meat.  Even with less salt, herb rubs can enhance or give flavor to meat.  Thyme is one of my favorite herbs to use for meats. I buy them fresh and let them dry out in their containers for future use. 

  

PAN GRILLED HERBED CHICKEN BREASTS

2 pcs chicken breasts  without skin

Apple cider vinegar (a few tablespoons)

Juice of  ½  a lemon (or  2 calamansi)

1 tablespoon Olive Oil

Herb rub  -  crushed rosemary leaves, Spanish paprika, thyme, oregano, finely minced garlic

Freshly milled pepper

Salt (optional or you can use a salt substitute*)

Mix the herb rub in a bowl including the salt (if using) & pepper. 

Pat dry the chicken breasts.  Rub the chicken breast with the herb rub.

Add the apple cider vinegar, olive oil  & lemon juice

Marinate inside the refrigerator for 2 hours.

Heat a Teflon pan. Make sure pan is very hot.  Sear the chicken breasts, three minutes each side.

In this photo, I made a dish of mashed sweet potato, added a few dash of cinnamon & simple salad  to go with the chicken.

Changes

 Paradigm Shift...

Coined by T.S. Kuhn, a US philosopher of science which means a radical change in underlying beliefs or theory.

A paradigm shift means to have a sudden change in perception, a sudden change in point of view, of how you see things. Hopefully this change will be in the right direction 

   ~ source, deeptruths.com

Now, you'd be wondering why I am writing about this in my food blog?

A lot of things happened in my personal life lately which caused me to have a different perspective about my health, my lifestyle, the way I look at things. And a much deeper personal reason (a life-altering one) looming ahead would in a way have an effect on the way I see my life from now on.

For one, this blog will soon see a lot of changes.  

A few months back, I quit going to the gym. In lieu of that, I enrolled in Milo Apex Running School without any goading from anyone, much to my friend, Mae's surprise. I thought I'd resume what I started last year - running...hoping to transcend beyond brisk walking/jogging to being able to run in races.  I was intent on losing weight by eating healthy too. In my mind, losing weight would equate to being a fast runner. 

Then the inevitable came. On a recent trip to the ER, I was diagnosed with 

Cholecystitis, an inflammation of the gall bladder caused by a gallstone.  I thought I could be cured by just eating a low fat diet or by flushing with apple juice and lemon/olive oil.  I would eventually undergo an open cholecystectomy which meant changes in my diet. I won't elaborate anymore on this topic. It's enough to say there will be major changes in my eating habits, my lifestyle and this blog. 

As I write this, it's been 6 days since my surgery and on the road to recovery, waiting for my body to adjust to my new diet.  Some say I can still go back to normal eating. But I dare not to. I am not getting younger. I want to be fit and healthy. As they say.... Mahal magkasakit. 

Like what I wrote in my FB shout out, this is just a minor setback, I will be back to running soon.  This food blog will have a revamp. There will be less dining out and food reviews and more healthy recipes, hoping that in my own little way, as one close friend said, could help others have a healthier lifestyle. 

P.S.

Let me have this chance to show my appreciation & gratitude to those who have been with me through this ordeal. You all know who you are. I am deeply thankful. :)