Nutrition

Quik fix yet healthy. Quinoa, Split Pea & Spinach

Quinoa, Split Pea & Spinach

Quinoa, split pea & Spinach

Just the other day I was at Barnes & Noble getting lost in my own little world of books that included Philosophy, The End to Illness, The Kardashian’s, and some nutritional cookbooks until my stomach started rumbling signaling me it was time to eat, it is the best method in helping me keep track of time, because my favorite watches I wear on a daily basis do not help me at all. So, I was tempted to get a quick bite at the Barnes & Noble’s cafe but from reading many books and articles about processed foods and the link it has on cancer & many illnesses, I decided to run home instead.

I dug in the fridge and reached for the Split Pea soup my boyfriend’s mother had packed for me the night before, which is always delicious! (Trini’s call it Dal’). She has probably noticed by now that her Dal’ is my new weakness. Then, I found a large container of Quinoa my boyfriend had also made the night before and I have to say it tastes even better each & every time. Finally, I needed something more to full-fill my hunger & nourish me from a tough Spin class I had taught earlier that day, so I looked for the bag of Spinach I had bought at Target and I completed a quick fix to get back on the road. My Avocado‘s weren’t ripe yet but typically in a quick fix like this one I would add half of an avocado (sliced). I’m sure you all know just how much I love Avocado’s. Just one cup of Quinoa contains 222 calories, 157 from carbs, 32 from fat and 32.6 from protein – so these calories are well distributed. It contains 8.1g of Protein, 5.2g of Fiber, 9.3IU Vitamin A, 77.7 mcg of Folate (needed in every woman’s diet). It also include tons of Minerals such as Calcium, magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sodium 13mg (very small amount) still needed for healthy levels of electrolytes, copper, magnesium and Selenium. One cup of Split pea soup contains 160 calories, 3.5g of fat (healthy fat), 25g of Carbohydrates, 9g of fiber and 9 grams of Protein. It also includes Minerals such as 4% of Vitamin A, 2% of Calcium, 2% of Vitamin C and 10% of iron. Moreover, one cup of Spinach has less than 1% of fat, 6.9 calories, 1.1g of Carbs, 0.7g of fiber, and 0.9 of Protein. Spinach has high percentages of healthy minerals such as 57% of Vitamin A per cup, 3% of calcium, 15% of Vitamin C and 5% of iron.

It is a good thing I only invite healthy food into my kitchen because had I had some fries or junk food in my pantry (which I never do), I would have destroyed it in matter of seconds and because it has no nutrition value, I would seek for more food causing me to over binge and fill my body with trans-fat and fake calories. As it has taken me years to master healthier options, I want you all to know it takes time and dedication to practice good habits. I really hope everyone can make wiser decisions on what they eat, especially if you’re trying to lose weight. Good thing for me, I am never trying to lose weight because I have no weight to lose, neither am I trying to gain weight because I am happy with my 125 lbs. body frame, 92% of it is all muscle, and the remaining 8% is body fat that my body appreciates because it’s healthy fat I find from my lovely avocado’s, nuts, olive & coconut oil, omega-3 and 6 supplements and some fish too.

**Nutrition information taken from caloriecount.com

Red Kidney Beans

Angie’s Red Kidney Beans!

     Why I love Red Kidney Beans?  It is a perfect side dish to any meal, it is rich in nutrients such as Calcium, Iron, Fiber and for those who are concerned about where they can get foods rich in protein, red beans are excellent source of protein especially when you are trying to minimize the amount of meats you consume.  In this segment, I have prepared a large pressure pot of Red Kidney Beans which I illustrate bigger amounts of portions.  Cook time in a pressure pot varies between 20-30 minutes, these beans took me 25 minutes to cook under Medium High Heat. I like to make a large portion so that my boyfriend and I have enough for the whole week and enough to share with the family.  I tried slicing (1) large carrot and it was a bit too much for that large pot.

     I recommend you use just 1 regular carrot for your soup, 1 celery stick, half a white onion (sliced), 4 cloves of garlic, 1 full jalapeno pepper (sliced), 1 green onion, ground black pepper (5 twist’s), Sea Salt (5) dashes, and optional 1 grated ginger root for added spice & to help aid in digestion because beans tend to be high in gas.

      Begin by rinsing and soaking 2 cup of beans in 5 cups of water.  Then, as you go cutting up your onions, garlic, celery, etc… toss veggies into pot so that your cutting board is cleared of any clutter.

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Continue to toss your ingredients into pot every time you’ve slice them up.

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RED KIDNEY BEANS NUTRITION FACTS FROM NUTRITIONDATA.COM

Red Kidney Nutrition value with Note to self

Vegetables & Tofu

What you will need:1. 1 full Onion2. 3-4 garlic cloves (grated)3. Tomato Sliceds4. Ginger (grated)5. 1 handfull of Cilantro6. half jalpeno optional (thinly sliced & cut)7. Mushrooms Half container (sliced)8. 1 Eggplant (sliced and chopped)9. 1 block of Tofu (sliced & chopped)10. Ground black pepper11. Cayenne pepper12. Mustard or Collard greens (half bunch) (sliced)

What you will need:
1. 1 full Onion
2. 3-4 garlic cloves (grated)
3. Tomato Sliceds
4. Ginger (grated)
5. 1 handfull of Cilantro
6. half jalpeno optional (thinly sliced & cut)
7. Mushrooms Half container (sliced)
8. 1 Eggplant (sliced and chopped)
9. 1 block of Tofu (sliced & chopped)
10. Ground black pepper
11. Cayenne pepper
12. Mustard or Collard greens (half bunch) (sliced)

Series 1: Washing & cutting vegetables

Drain water from tofu & let stand for 5 minutes … Wash Mushrooms & all your veggies

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Peel & Slice one Full Onion and cutting them into smaller pieces.

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Peel & Slice 3 garlic cloves      … First on the long side & then mincing them into smaller cuts.

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Slice & cut half a jalapeno pepper

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Begin to heat up 2 tablespoons of Olive Oil (Medium heat) and dump Onions, jalapeno peppers and garlic until Brown.P1010582

Series 2: Skin ginger & Slice up one full tomato

Skin & grate your ginger

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Use the remaining threads of ginger & squeeze juice … Then begin to slice tomato

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… Cut tomato into smaller pieces                … & mix up all of it in pot (medium heat 5 or 6)

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Series 3: Tofu, Eggplant & Cilantro

Slice Tofu on the long                       ….Then cut into long strips              ….Finally cut into chunks

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Slice & chop a handfull of Cilantro

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Dash 5 twists of black pepper         … and 5 dashes of Cayenne Pepper  ….. & stir it up to even out spices

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Cover & simmer for 2 minutes while you cut & slice Eggplant

Series 4: Eggplant & Mushrooms

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Let your mushrooms be chunky by slicing into long sides   …Toss into pot then Cover & simmer for 5 minutes while you cut your leafy greens after

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Final Series 5: Slice your collard greens & add to your vegetables

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Mix well then cover & cook for 8-10 more minutes

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P1010629Be mindful of time when cutting up your vegetable, each time you begin cutting a new series aim to spend no more than 2 minutes, per series, but don’t worry it gets better with practice.  It should take you no more than 30 minutes to prepare & cook this delicious & nutritional meal rich in fiber & protein. Have fun with it and make it what you want it to be

You may use half of an Avocado as a side dish to complete 1 serving plate and add healthy fat into your diet.

Enjoy & let me know how it goes 🙂

Angie’s Powerful Lentil Soup with Veggies (Hot) Vegan Friendly

This soup was filled with delicious veggies and lentils. Below are all the steps to completing a delicious meal that will provide you with Fiber, Protein, healthy carbs and nutritional compounds to build and strengthen your immune system. A full pot lasted my spouse & I three days and each day tasted better than before. Also great for post workouts to nourish your body and provide sufficient protein to the muscles and aid in recovery.  Make sure to grate a whole ginger root into your pot of Lentil soup as it will minimize any gassy compounds.  You can use less dashes of seasoning to make your soup less spicy or you can use bell peppers instead of jalapenos. Continue reading

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