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. :)

Healthy Cooking: Couscous with Chick peas Salad

My friend who is into healthy living (my running/walking mate every Thursday at BGC) requested me to post healthy recipes. 

Last night, I bought a box of Casbah  Toasted Couscous (giant pasta pearls) with wild mushroom (P156) from Healthy Options. 

Couscous is a granular pasta made from semolina flour. It’s a staple in North Africa and is one key  ingredient  in Mediterranean cuisine.

I got the pearl ones, larger and shaped like a pearl compared to the usual small granular couscous.  Cooking method is also a bit different.  With regular couscous, you just steam or add boiling water/broth and let it sit till it’s done and fluffed to separate the grains.  With pearl couscous, it’s like cooking risotto but easier and less cooking time.  Flavor is nutty, with smooth, chewy texture.  

I used this type of couscous to make a vegetarian salad – with chick peas, Taiwan bokchoy, tomatoes, olive oil.  Things I found in my refrigerator.  This would make a perfect mate for grilled meats and fish.  I ate this on its own for breakfast this morning. 

COUSCOUS WITH CHICK PEAS SALAD

1 tbsp olive oil

Half pack of Casbah Toasted Couscous

1 stalk Taiwan bok choy, sliced into ½ inch pieces

1 tomato, deseeded & diced

½ cup canned chick peas, drained

1 Tbsp calamansi juice (or lemon)

Salt & freshly ground pepper

Cook couscous according to package directions.  Just before turning off the fire, add the chick peas and bokchoy.  Heat just enough to cook the bokchoy.  Remove from the fire and add the tomatoes, olive oil and calamansi juice.  Season with salt & pepper to taste.