#brussel sprouts: steamed unfortunately

[vegi1]

Foods High in Omega 3 for Vegetarians and Vegans

Omega-3 fatty acids are important fats that reduce inflammation, triglycerides, and even the risk of dementia, as well as improving mental ability and memory and preventing premature aging.

The most well-known sources of omega-3 fatty acids include fish oil and fatty fish such as salmon, salmon, and tuna. But omega-3 intake can be challenging for vegans, vegetarians, or even those who are not interested in eating fish sources.

Of the three main types of omega-3 fatty acids, plant foods typically contain only alpha-linolenic acid (ALA).

Alpha-linolenic acid is not active in the body and must be converted into two other forms of omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in order to benefit from its properties. But unfortunately, the body's ability to convert alpha-linolenic acid is limited. Only about 5% of alpha-linolenic acid is converted to eicosapentaenoic acid, while less than 0.5% is converted to docosahexaenoic acid. As a result, vegetarians or vegans should make sure they consume enough food rich in alpha-linolenic acid to meet their omega-3 needs.

Remember to pay attention to the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3, as a diet low in omega-3 but high in omega-6 can increase inflammation and the risk of disease.

Due to their many properties, chia seeds deliver a heavy dose of fiber and protein to the body with each serving. They are also an excellent plant-based source of the omega-3 fatty acid ALA.

Thanks to their omega-3s, fiber and protein, studies have shown that chia seeds can reduce the risk of chronic disease when consumed as part of a healthy diet. One study found that consuming a diet with chia seeds, soy protein, and oats reduced blood triglycerides, glucose intolerance, and inflammatory markers.

A 2007 study found that eating chia seeds lowers blood triglycerides and increases good HDL cholesterol and omega-3 levels in the blood. Just 28 grams of chia seeds can meet the daily intake of omega-3 fatty acids of 4915 mg.

The recommended amount of ALA for adults over 19 years of age is 1100 mg for women and 1600 mg for men. Increase your chia seed intake by eating a hearty chia pudding or sprinkling chia seeds on salads, yogurt or smoothies.

Ground chia seeds can also be used as a vegan substitute for eggs. Mix one tablespoon (7 grams) with 3 tablespoons of water for a good egg-based meal.

Summary

28 grams of chia seeds provide 4915 mg of the omega-3 fatty acids ALA, which is 307-447% of the recommended daily amount.

2. Brussels sprouts

In addition to being high in vitamin K, vitamin C, and fiber, Brussels sprouts are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids.

Because cruciferous vegetables like Brussels sprouts are so rich in nutrients and omega-3 fatty acids, they also have other great benefits. In fact, one study found that increased consumption of cruciferous vegetables was associated with a 16% lower risk of heart disease.

Half a cup or 44 grams of Brussels sprouts contains about 44 milligrams of ALA. On the other hand, cooked Brussels sprouts contain three times more omega-3. That's 135 milligrams per half-cup serving (78 grams).

Brussels sprouts can be roasted, steamed or fried in food.

Summary

Each half-cup or 78-gram serving of cooked Brussels sprouts contains 135 mg of ALA, or 12% of the recommended daily value.

3. Seaweed

Algal oil, an oil derived from algae, is one of the few plant sources of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Some studies show that it is comparable to seafood in terms of availability of EPA and DHA nutrients.

One study compared algal oil capsules with cooked salmon and found that both were equally absorbed.

Algae oil supplements, usually available in oil capsule form, typically provide 400-500 mg of DHA and EPA. In general, a daily intake of 300-900 mg of combined DHA and EPA is recommended.

Of course, liquid and powdered forms of algae are also available that can be added to drinks or smoothies for a dose of healthy fats.

Summary

Depending on the supplement, algal oil provides 400-500 mg of DHA and EPA, meeting 44-167% of the recommended daily amount. Liquid and powder types of seaweed are also available.

4. Cannabis seeds

In addition to protein, magnesium, iron and zinc, hemp seeds consist of about 30% oil and contain a large amount of omega-3. Studies have shown that omega-3 found in hemp seeds can be beneficial for heart health. These seeds do this by preventing the formation of blood clots and helping the heart recover after a heart attack. Each 28 grams of hemp seeds contains approximately 6000 mg of ALA.

Sprinkle hemp seeds on yogurt or mix them into a smoothie for a little crunch and boost the omega-3 content of your snack.

You can also use hemp in your homemade granola and benefit from its properties. The use of hemp oil can also be used to provide a concentrated dose of omega-3 fatty acids. Consuming raw or roasted hemp seed is also possible, but due to its hard shell, it is recommended to take care of your teeth.

Summary

28 grams of hemp seeds contain 6000 mg of omega-3 fatty acids ALA, or 375-545% of the recommended daily amount.

5. Walnut

Walnuts are full of healthy fats and omega-3 ALA fatty acids. In fact, walnuts are about 65% fat by weight.

Several studies have shown that walnuts can help improve brain health due to their omega-3 content. A 2011 study found that eating walnuts was associated with improvements in learning and memory.

Another study found that walnuts significantly improved memory, learning, motor development, and anxiety in people with Alzheimer's disease. Just one serving of walnuts can meet the entire day's need for omega-3 fatty acids, with 28 grams providing 2,542 milligrams.

Add walnuts to your homemade granola or cereal, sprinkle them on top of yogurt, or simply eat a handful as a snack to boost your ALA intake.

Summary

28 grams of walnuts contain 2542 mg of omega-3 fatty acids ALA, or 159-231% of the recommended daily amount.

6. Flax seeds

Flaxseeds are great sources full of nutritious properties that provide adequate amounts of fiber, protein, magnesium and manganese in each serving. They are also an excellent source of omega-3.

Several studies have shown that the omega-3 fatty acid content in flaxseeds helps with heart health. Also, studies on flaxseed and flaxseed oil show a reduction in blood cholesterol. Another study found that flaxseed can significantly lower blood pressure, especially in those with high blood pressure.

28 grams of flaxseeds contain 6388 milligrams of omega-3 fatty acids ALA, which exceeds the daily recommended amount.

Flaxseeds are easy to incorporate into your diet and can be a staple in vegan recipes. Mix one tablespoon (7 grams) of flaxseed meal with 2.5 tablespoons of water for a healthy egg substitute in your diet.

In addition to its equality in the properties of cereal and oatmeal, flax seed is perfectly suitable for use in soup or salad.

Summary

28 grams of flaxseeds contain 6388 mg of omega-3 fatty acids ALA, or 400-580% of the recommended daily amount.

7. Soya

Soybean is one of the popular legumes whose origin is known in Asia. Food sources derived from soybeans, such as soybean oil, are a good source of other nutrients, including riboflavin, magnesium, potassium, folate, and vitamin K.

Soybean is usually served as part of a meal or salad, and its oil is well used in cooking and salad dressings. Soybean oil contains 0.923 grams of ALA per tablespoon. Tofu cheese is another food source derived from soy.

Summary

Soy is one of the sources of omega-3, and products derived from it, such as soybean oil, contain 0.923 grams of ALA per tablespoon.

last line

The benefits of omega-3 fatty acids are very important and are an important part of the diet. Consuming this substance improves mental ability and memory, prevents premature aging, etc.

If you follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, you can still use the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids in your diet. It is possible to meet your needs without seafood by including a few plant-based sources of omega-3s in your diet or choosing a plant-based omega-3 supplement and capsule. These 7 plant sources rich in omega-3 fatty acids will help you get this essential substance.

[orgyporgy]

Two more, live mas ❤️

#me #self #like 2 post in pairs #chicken: roasted #potatoes: mashed #brussel sprouts: steamed unfortunately

[lionsongfr]

Feast of the Eleven

While Earth Flight is renowned for their hospitality and numerous feasts during Rockbreaker’s Ceremony, one feast during this time is a celebration of every Flight. Inspired first by Earthshaker’s desire to see his family once again and a call for unity amongst dragon kind, this celebration has slowly grown in popularity throughout all of Sornieth.

Oddly what really made this celebration prevalent was an incident in which Ice Flight faced an overabundance of Woodland Turkeys. While the Gaolers (hidden at the time) did eat meat, their numbers where much fewer than the plant eating Tundra cousins. Ice traders thus shipped numerous frozen turkeys to Earth’s markets for later resale to Nature and Plague Flight’s meat-loving dragons (mainly because Earth had more established markets that both used).   Four Flights coming to together to feast and celebrate eventually lead to invitations to the other seven Flights in a celebration that would eventually be called “The Feast of the Eleven.”

One of the main customs of the feast is a potluck in which dragons of each Flight make a specialty from their home. Below is a list of the most common of dishes for the feast:

Roast Woodland Turkey- a staple and main event of the feast is the Turkey Dinner. The cooking and slicing of the fowl are often commandeered by the nearest Fire dragon, though the bird mayyyyy become charcoal. The main seasoning is Siltivine, Cindervine, and Potash Peach, a mix of sweet and herbal with a tinge heat. Alongside the Turkey it is common to have roasted pods of Smolderpetal and Speckled Firelilies.

Charcuterie Pickle Board- food in the Scarred Wasteland is often preserved in many ways- from pickling to smoking to fermenting to curing to drying, every speck of food is not wasted. This dish has many varieties, but the popular are: Butcher’s Fig balsamic, Dubious Cucumber pickles, roasted Greenpod blooms, salt dried Shellbugs, honeyed Wasteland Pear slices, Mossy Cerdae cheese with live Maggots, Bonebark Mold sourdough rolls, and more cured meats than an Imperial could eat.

Spiral Milk Buns- a soft, fluffy, and almost elastic roll, these steamed or baked buns have a variety of filling spiraled within. Some are savory like Sour Spinach, Dried Anchovies, and Green Shoots and others filled with sweets like Sugarbees, Blackberries, and Jumbo Shrimp. Unfortunately, Wind dragons have a habit of mixing the buns up, so it is a surprise what kind you will get!

Sautéed Winter Brussel Sprouts- much like Plague, Ice Flight is rather scarce on food resources- especially during winter. However, Winter’s Delight and Winter Brussel Sprouts are only picked during the fall and winter months.  The Brussel Sprouts are browned in Spotted Seal oil and then glazed with a Winter’s Delight sauce and a sprinkle of sea salt.

Mountain Mash- an Earth dish of mountainous size, it is made mainly of a Turnip and Potato Onion mash which is dotted with slices of roasted Ancient Mushrooms and topped with Bell Goat butter and deep-fried Wild Onions.

Surprise Stuffing- this Quinoa stuffing has Leechroot mushrooms, Golden Peppers, and Sour Green Apples- which is delightful but not the surprise. The surprise is where the Shadow dragons have managed to stuff it. Turkey? Nah, too traditional. In the mounted Anglerfish on the wall? Hmmm…maybe. In my piggybank hidden underneath my bed? Yep!

Noon Noodles- a baked dish of handmade Amaranth macaroni, loaded with Featherback boar ham, slices of spicy Tendrilback Caterpillar, and hunks of Sparkling Crayfish. The dish is topped with a rich, golden Longneck cheese (made by the beastclans and not… from them) sauce and garnished with fried sprigs of Senecio Haworthii. Dragons question if the name is because of the golden color or the fact it takes till noon to make.

Red Sea Stew- a simple stew with a base of Crimson Jadevine, Sugarmelon Wine, and roasted Blacktongue Peppers. To this base any seasonal seafood is tossed in, like Clown Shrimp, Swimmer Crab legs, Chewy Tentacles, and Eel Larvae. Often served with a side of flatbread stuffed with laverbread (a purée of salty Rotala).

Parda Eggs- not actually Parda eggs (and they do lay eggs), but rather a dish made of fried Green Plantains, Game Fowl broth, and Apples that is pounded in a mortar and pestle and then stuffed with Barkback Boar cracklings. The whole mash is then shaped into an egg and then braised game meat is poured over top. A sweet variation is made with Plantains and Red Bananas stuffed with a sweetened Paradise Seed tahini and covered in a coconut broth.

Bug Nut Pie- after an infamous episode involving Satin Mice and exploding gelatins, Arcane offerings have become more traditional and less experimental. The most traditional is a puff pastry pie filled with Cicada, Pharoah Ant larvae, Glittering Lacewing carapace, and oats in a Blood Acorn and Raspberry syrup. Frequently paired with a Hippalectryon egg nog, which leads to many questions and fugitive answers.

Boss Banned Punch- even more infamous than the previous dish, this punch is banned from all office parties in Lightning…but one can make an acceptance for the Feast of the Eleven, right? The punch starts off with Stonewatch Scrub Tequila, then Charged Duneberry sparkling soda, Prickly Pear liquor, and Java Sparrow cola.  Please drink responsibly.  

#Flight rising #fr headcanon #lore #food #my headcanon #Earth Flight #All Flights

[poptod]

In Death (Josh Washington x Reader)

Description: You take care of him.

Notes: posted this wrong had to correct it here it is Word Count: 1.8k

+

He wasn't weak when they found him. Scared, yes – but not weak. He fought back and he hurt them, but they controlled him, and sent him to the hospital where he was contained for a month. For the better half of that month he was not allowed visitors, not his parents, not his friends, but you visited him anyway. You weren't allowed inside his room, but you stood outside with your face pressed against the glass. He breathed deep when he slept – almost normal, with a Joker-like tear in his grin, teeth like a shark, and blood dripping from the wounds that refused to heal.

He turned to you and did not grow angry. He turned to you and he almost smiled – almost human – and the doctors let you in. So you sat at his bedside, talking nonsense and reading him stories. Unfortunately his condition had fed a sickness to his mind, and though you showed up every day, he did not remember his time in the hospital.

His memory started to work like any other's only when he returned home from the hospital, kept in his room he recognized so easily. No one could tell if it was a conscious recognition or just a comfort in a familiarity he couldn't decipher, but it kept his tantrums and screeching at bay, and the sight of you sitting on his bed was one that calmed his temper. He didn't know why that was.

You spent all your time in his home, growing a fair enough relationship with his parents as you took care of him. Both his mother and father were busy, and as much as they wanted to be there for him, they couldn't fund his medicine and spend time at home. That was where you came in; you moved into the bedroom beside his and you took care of him.

Running the bathwater, you peeked out into his room, where he sat entranced with the poster above his head. A small smile came to you before you turned back to the adjacent bathroom, dropping lavender and honey scents into the steaming water. Once it filled halfway you put in bubble mixture, watching as mountains of it began to appear, stopped only when you turned the faucet off.

"Josh?" You called softly, looking out to find him still staring at the poster. Quietly you made your way to him, taking his hand in yours and pulling gently. "I ran you a bath."

You couldn't tell if he understood your words. No one did, but nonetheless he followed you, a half smile on his face, which was as much as he could do with the scars healing across his cheeks. They were a horrific sight, still gaping and scabbed but you'd grown used to it. 

Sitting him down on the edge of the tub, you raised his arms, pulling his shirt off of him while he looked up at you as though you carved the moon into the sky. He often looked like that around you. You knelt in front of him, helping to pull off his socks and jeans before removing his boxers, all of which you kept in a pile on the floor while you helped him step into the warm water.

Immediately a rough sigh left him, his eyes closing as he sank into the bubbles. Rolling up your sleeves you grabbed a nearby cup, dipping it into the water before pouring it gently over his head, watching carefully for any sign of distaste. Like usual he enjoyed it – you supposed you'd enjoy warmth too if you were stuck in winter mountains for six months.

"Do they hurt much today?" You asked him, your soothing voice always a helper in your interactions.

With a water-soaked hand you cupped his cheek, running your thumb ever so gently over the injuries, helping the biting cold dissipate. He shook his head – a simple no, but when you tried to withdraw your hand he pulled you back, placing your warmth over his scars and melting into your touch.

"I'll need that soon, but alright," you murmured with a quiet giggle, an expression that had him smiling a crooked, broken smile.

Once more you ran water through his hair, letting him keep your hand sandwiched against his cheek (he still hadn't moved his hand away from yours) for another minute or so before moving to the shampoo.

"You're quiet today," you noted in a hum, massaging the shampoo into his scalp in just the right way. You'd gotten a lot of practice.

Like usual, he didn't respond, at least not in words. Despite his appearing to have forgotten english, you kept talking to him like normal – maybe it was laziness on your part, but you liked to believe he could understand you. Eventually he'd gain the consciousness to speak again. After all, he was getting slowly better, and with each passing week he grew more civil.

"Close your eyes," you said, preparing to run water over his sudsy head. He did so, and as your cup spilled warm water down his neck, he hummed pleasantly.

You went slow till you finished up, reaching low into the tub to release the plug. Even though your sleeves were rolled up nearly to your shoulder, you still managed to soak your shirt, bubbles still resting on your chest and stomach. Not that you minded, but you'd have to change shirts to make lunch.

The doctors told you one good meal a day – vegetarian of course, and snacks were allowed throughout the day. You kept to their words, though you could tell it annoyed Josh. He must've missed his old favorite foods quite a lot. If he remembered them.

Stirring the tomato sauce, you eyed Josh sneaking out of his room, making his way over to you. He looked over your shoulder and you could feel his breath, a warmth that only grew when he wrapped his arms around your middle, his chest against your back. Resting his chin on your shoulder, he hummed a tune you couldn't quite identify, pressing his cheek against your neck and jaw. You chuckled.

"Pasta or baguette slices?" You asked, looking to the unopened box of spaghetti and the freshly baked baguette his mother had gotten from a nearby bakery.

Unwinding himself from you he knelt at the counter, coming to eye level with the two objects. After a moment of looking between the two, he reached for the baguette, handing it to you.

"Alright," you said as you took it, offering a smile before he left the kitchen.

You sliced about half the baguette up, setting the pieces on a tray seasoned with olive oil, salt, and a hint of garlic. The tomato sauce would go well on it, and since the sauce already had garlic in it, you didn't need too much for the cooking sheet. With the sauce and the bread boiling and cooking away, you cut up broccoli and brussel sprouts. Those soon went into a pan, before being seasoned with olive oil and jalapeno slices. Fresh vegetables always took a shorter time to cook, though Josh liked them a little overcooked, which was a little harder for you to enjoy. Still, you found comfort in the routine, always happy to help him.

When you finished you called Josh over, who quickly jumped over the couch and rushed to your side, looking over the food with a hungry look. To be fair, he usually looked hungry. You helped him load food onto his own plate before getting your own, joining him on the couch, where you pulled up Hatari on the television. A classic.

He couldn't sit through the whole movie, so at the midway point you paused, taking care of the dishes before joining him in his room. For the most part he stayed up there, and this time was no different as you found him lying on his bed. In his hands he held an ADHD fidgeting toy covered in scratches from his claws which, to your surprise, were fading at the same pace of his scars. No one expected them to go away, but it was a pleasant revelation.

"I brought cookies. You know, the ones I made a couple days ago," you said, climbing onto the bed with him and placing the cookie box between you. "There aren't any more heart shaped ones, though. Sorry. I only made three of those."

One for his mother, one for his father, and one for him.

Scooting across the sheets, he leaned against you, his posture much lower than yours to the point where his head was almost in your lap. You placed your arm over his head, resting your hand on his shoulder and tracing tiny shapes on his shirt.

"We'll need to go take your medicine soon," you reminded him softly, something that had him burying his face deeper into your waist. "You can sleep for now, though."

He loved touching you, that much was obvious to anyone who observed your interactions for more than a minute. Something in his mind told him you were safe – you couldn't be more thankful for that little memory, as faint as it was.

He never said your name. He didn't always recognize your voice if you called from another room. When he had nightmares, he didn't realize it was you waking him up unless you turned on the lights. But sometimes, he tried to sing to you. Weird, yes, and according to his friends and family he never sang before the incident, but it was sweet, and... lonely. There weren't any words, and despite that it still put an ache in your heart. Other times he tried to massage you, but you couldn't bear him doing that for very long, what with his claws. He clung to you when you sat beside him, especially in bed – he'd wrap his arms around your waist or chest, slinging his legs over the lower half of your body till there wasn't even a chance of escape. Over everything, you found it endearing. His parents found it embarrassing.

He didn't remember when you first spoke. He didn't remember driving you to the outskirts of town just to ask you on a date – he didn't remember you saying yes, and he didn't remember how you made him banana bread when he mentioned that he liked it. He didn't remember that you kissed him, and he didn't remember kissing back.

He didn't remember anything to do with you or any of his friends, or really any part of his life.

No, he didn't remember you, but he recognized you.

Only you.

And to him, when you murmured 'I love you' into his ear, you were all that existed.

#josh washington x reader #josh washington #until dawn #rami malek #rami malek character

[no-footprints-in-the-snow]

My Recipes

Resharing my recipes to help out some people looking for foods to eat low-carb, low-cal options! <3 <3 <3 

My favourite foods for meals are hard boiled eggs (72 calories a piece - a dash of salt or pepper, as snacks or sandwich filler), tuna (120 calories a can), tilapia (80 calories a fillet), frozen salmon fillets (130/4 oz), romaine lettuce (5 calories for two LARGE leafs/10 for 4) for salads or in replacement of bread.

For tuna wraps (two cans of skipjack drained (240 calories), tbsp of full-fat mayo (80 calories), pepper medley, (you can add chives or celery), wrap in lettuce (head of lettuce - 5 calories for two LARGE leafs/10 for 4) -- makes multiple 'sandwiches'. (325 calories - 205 calories for 1 can) Sometimes I just drain a can of tuna, throw on some Clubhouse ‘La Grille’ Pepper Medley and eat it straight out of the can with a fork. (120 calories)

Egg salad wraps (two-three-four eggs, depends on how hungry you are), tbsp full-fat mayo (80 calories), yellow mustard to taste (0 cals) -- you can add a dash of salt or pepper, wrap lettuce (5-15) around it to make multiple 'sandwiches'. (229-301-373 calories - 2-3-4 large eggs)

I typically boil an entire carton of eggs in one sitting, remember that it takes more time to cook a whole carton. I also get cartons of egg whites (two containers/250g a container/a cup a container), I use a whole carton, microwave for 2 minutes 45 seconds, and then mix in a big tablespoon of peanut butter. It's surprisingly delicious! And low-carb. (206-286 calories if you use 1-2 tablespoons of peanut butter respectively) Veggies with dinner or any meal: Simply Steam Green Giant items (like cauliflower rice and broccoli with cheese sauce, broccoli and cauliflower with cheese sauce, and brussel sprouts in butter sauce). All of them are low-cal and delicious. I avoid corn. I'm more a veggie girl than a fruit girl (I've never really been a fan. I don't know why). (40-50-80 calories for half a package - 80-100-160 calories for a full package) You can even make an egg white omelette with one of those 250g cartons and Simply Steam veggies! Just add one cup/250g of egg whites into a frying pan (115 calories), I typically use the broccoli and cauliflower with cheese sauce package and it comes to 215 calories.

Snacks: Large hardboiled eggs (dash of salt or pepper) - (72 calories a piece), cherry tomatoes, carrots, bell peppers, celery, (all great for salads as well), peanut butter, greek yogurt (don't get sweetened ones, they have a LOT of sugar in them). Sometimes, I just slice up a whole tomato (Beefsteak - 33 calories), and put some salt on it, and eat just that as a snack.

Get full fat dressing of your choice to dip or use as dressing. Smoked oysters (good healthy fat) with Clubhouse “La Grille pepper medley”. (130 calories) However, I get light peanut butter.

You can put peanut butter on your celery. Also, 15 almonds is about 100 calories – if you put them in water and in the fridge, they'll double to triple in size, much more filling that way!

Carbs: Whole grain brown rice (usually Uncle Ben's Express roasted chicken, vegetable medley, or mushroom), ready in 90 seconds! I typically only eat half a bag because the carb count can add up, for the second use -- you add a cup of water in the microwave, and heat up for 45-60 seconds. (130-140-150 calories) / (260-280-300 calories for a full bag)

Feel like pasta? They have low calorie options by Slendier – "Calorie Clever", which is gluten free, low carb, and a source of fiber. An entire package is 25 calories.

Feel like pizza? Get the whole wheat 7" tortilla wraps (the smaller size), a dash of tomato sauce spread around with the bottom of a spoon, mozza fat-free cheese slices (X2), top with low-cal toppings, spinach, chicken – 7 minutes in the oven at 400F. (235 calories)

Dessert or sweet tooth? A big spoonful of peanut butter (80-190 calories), or you can make a packet of maple oatmeal (Quaker), and a cup of cottage cheese, is REALLY good as a dessert. Mix it together, it's creamy-deliciousness! Great as breakfast/lunch/dessert, whenever. (271 calories)

Also, ICE CREAM. Plain. Chocolate. Vanilla. Nothing EXTRA in it, is what I mean. Chapman’s even makes a sugar-free, lactose-free kind. Chocolate and vanilla. And yes, Chapman's makes sugar-free chocolate and vanilla, and even ice cream sandwiches – so those are keto friendly! lol

I'm lactose-intolerant so I tend to avoid dairy products. I -love- ice cream, but ice cream does NOT love me. Chapman's makes sugar-free, lactose-free Chocolate, Vanilla, Maple Walnut, Butterscotch Ripple, and Black Cherry Ice Cream! And they taste AMAZING.

Not only that, I find I urinate most of it out, so it doesn’t add to the scale the following day for me.

Broth – I also like chicken bone broth with turmeric and black pepper. Easy to find on Amazon. I add a little bit of chicken bouillon and it tastes like a mug of spicy chicken soup. (75 calories)

I keep vitamins on hand: Essential Electrolytes, K2, Liquid Vitamin D (the pills don't absorb properly), B6, B12, biotin, and I have Apple Cider Vinegar pills (with 'mother') and Turmeric pills on hand. Keep in mind that for some people ACV helps acid reflux, for others it doesn't.

Turmeric is NOT a supplement. Do NOT take it on an empty stomach. I took two pills, then drank coffee. It was like I ate a ghost pepper, I could feel the heat in my mouth for the rest of the day and my stomach hurt. Only take Turmeric BEFORE you eat a meal. I also only take ACV before a meal. Never on an empty stomach.

Remember that the low-fat options typically have a LOT more sodium/sugar in them!

Drink LOTS of water, and don't count coffee or other liquids as your water intake. If you want to determine the exact amount you should drink according to your body weight, you can follow these steps: Take your weight and divide it in half and translate the lbs to ounces. Done.

Avoid sugar-free gum unless you're going to chew the same piece for 60 minutes + because that's how long it takes to burn off the calories in it by chewing it. If you’re going to exercise -- than sugar-free gum won’t matter, but it slows down your weight loss because it causes an insulin spike. You won’t stay in ketosis because of it. This is the same thing with sugar-free energy drinks unfortunately. I find changing your eating window around helps, because it confuses your metabolism. All of these things are easy to make, because I'm lazy. LOL

P.S. I'm a 'dirty faster', and put sweetener in my coffee, albeit I'm learning not to put sweetener in. And lime in my water (you can use lime or lemon), which is scientifically proven to kick your metabolism in the butt. Cool/cold showers instead of hot ones actually burns calories, and clears up skin from acne as well.

P.P.S. I've actually been clean fasting since early February. So now, black coffee, green tea, and water, are the only thing I intake while I'm fasting.

#Intermittent Fasting #Intermittent Fast #Intermittent #Fasting #Fast #Recipes #Low-cal #Low cal #low calorie #low-carb #low carb #low carbs #no-footprints #no-footprints-in-the-snow #no footprints in the snow #no footprints #nofootprintsinthesnow #nofootprints #recipe #low-cal recipes #low-carb recipes #low carb recipe #low carb recipes #low cal recipe #low cal recipes #water #food

[baronvonriktenstein]

which vegetable and/or fruit offends you the most?

Unfortunately, I have the palate of a child so me liking fruits and vegetables to begin with is rare. To find one offensive....... Maybe Brussels Sprouts and steamed Cabbage

#it's the smell for the cabbage for sure ;o; #partyinthemysterymachine #ask

[lunavadash-creates]

I am really glad to hear your mood has improved and I hope it stays like this for a very long time! <hugs tightly> Buying new succulent to produce some serotonins doesn’t seem dangerous. Unless you are seriously taking into consideration building a succulentarium in the near future.

But! Its leaves have a really cool structure and nice color! You should give it a name! How many succulents do you have already?

Thanks for your crossed fingers! They were lucky for Luna! I hope so, because the situation is not that bad as we thought it is, but it is still serious unfortunately. She had another blood test, different medicines and she has to have another control test in 10 days to see if meds are working properly.

You can lend me your level 4 blanket because I already have freezing tendencies and we still don't have temperatures below zero.. Do you have Loki autumn/winter pillow? What does it look like? I’m not into Marvel, but wandering around tumblr I know how he looks like, but a pillow dedicated to autumn and winter seems interesting! Maybe I should invest in such thing too. Because NO, Luna doesn’t like hugging and prefers cool temperatures. We are not a good team in this case.

As for the 5 things you like about yourself - you said you like your style. What is exactly your style? And also, the most important question! Any good, simple recipes?

Take care, Luna!💕

🔪

*hugs so so tightly*

Knifey! Yes my mood is still good!

When I started responding to this ask I has 4 succulents. But I fell asleep yesterday, then to the store and now I have 7.

I'm honestly thinking about making a little succulentarium here. I think I can have here around 40 succulents. So far it's 7 different but I found another 20 I want, they are all colourful and amazing. Among those here the one in a pink pot was the first one I got. I has see-through ends of leaves and I just feel connected to it in some strange way. Also I think it may bloom because it sprouted this long thingy.

I'm so so happy Luna is better. And I hope she will be all fine. I was so worried about her. I'm glad you take care of your baby doggy. I'm just so happy for you two that you have each other. Please give her pets or kisses or treats from me ❤️

Loki pillow is made of this soft, fluffy material and well there is Loki on it. I like it because it's so nice in touch butni don't have any photo of it ;;

Lemme hug you and invite you over to share the level 4 fluffy blanket. It's very soft and so warm that within a minute you are melting from the heat.

My style? Huh. Jeans (I love ripped jeans) and mostly black, white, purple, red, blue top. Usually it's a mix between elegant-casual. But I love all my purple sweaters for winter!

Simple recipes? For food? For lunch/dinner or good to take somewhere? Usually I make onigiri (sushi rice and tuna inside), pasta with spinach, crepes, banana bread with cranberries, salads. I love fried or steam boiled chicken, seasonal vegetables like beans or brussels. I don't know what do you like to eat 🤨. My guilty pleasure is definitely tortillas! I need more data and I can share some recipes!

#ask #knifey #knifey my beloved

[notbecauseofvictories]

Hi Sarah! You seem to be quite enthusiastic and well informed about cooking, and I was wondering if you had any tips for students at uni? I feel it's so difficult to keep a healthy diet and cook for yourself on a low budget. Do you have any good recipes you could share? Or ideas? Thank you so much if you are able to answer, no worries if you don't feel like it.

This is...kind of a difficult question to answer, given that I approach cooking as a decadent, pleasurable thing, rather than something functional. (Some people shop online when they want to splurge. I make 48 coconut macaroons hand-shaped and dipped in chocolate, and a parmesan-garlic cream sauce to drizzle over my steamed brussel sprouts.) If all I need to do is consume calories, I’m much more likely to cut corners---seriously, store-bought sauces, simmer pastes, and salad dressings are a godsend---or buy something convenient. I could probably survive on deli sandwiches, if I really put my mind to it.

However, I do want to suggest a couple tips I think are helpful:

1) Know what you like, know what you need.

What it says, because food is always a balancing act between getting the kinds of nutrients your physical, calorie-consuming body needs and the sugar/salt/fats you want. Personally, I will eat literally anything if there’s bread or cheese or both involved. (This is not a joke---I have eaten a lot of creamed spinach and deli sandwiches.) However, having discussed my diet with healthcare professionals, I know what I need is proteins and vitamin d. So when I’m preparing my schedule for the week, I force myself to think about both: what will I eat, what should I eat, what can I make that satisfies the difference? And then, what’s my timing? (i.e., do I need to stay late at work? do I have other plans that night?) 

Like everything with my life, I review it vaguely sometime Monday and plan out my week. Though I do know enough about myself to build in some flexibility, because sometimes a bitch is walking home desperate for a burger, and shouldn’t have to apologize.

2) Google with abandon.

I do not have any private store of family recipes. My mother was a functional cook, and my grandmothers were either of the “hors d'oeuvres and martinis” generation or the “jello(tm) with colorful sprinkles is an actual dessert” generation. (The difference there, by the way, is class. But that’s a whole other tumblr post.) The point is that at the end of the day, there’s no secret treasure trove of recipes for me to delve into.

Which means I google everything. Every recipe I post here, every time I have spare ingredients I’m looking to get rid of. “Unsweetened chocolate recipes” is one of my latest searches, because I accidentally bought 4 oz of it instead of semi-sweet and don’t know what to do. (I’ll probably end up make brownies.) I have also googled in the last few months:

Reduced milk recipe

Quinoa recipe

Bean recipe

Dark corn syrup recipe

Pie crust recipe 

Apple pie recipe

Scallion pancake recipe

The point is, just because you don’t know what to do shouldn’t keep you from making good food! Personally, I love Epicurious, and always check their suggestions first, but the internet is wide and deep and full of people who will suggest cooking times, oven temperature, and spices you can add to stuff to make it taste good. Don’t be afraid to scroll through 4 different recipes on different domains, even if it’s the same dish; or to add “simple” to you search terms. You have more cookery knowledge at your clumsy fingertips than anyone before us ever has---use it.

3) Store it, freeze it, stick it in a tupperware.

As someone who’s now been cooking for herself for at least 5 years, I am here to tell you that there’s no “cooking for one.” Cooking for one is a lie. What you do is cook for 3-4 people, and then freeze or refrigerate the leftovers. So it’s important to consider how well your various ingredients freeze and how you’ll reheat them when the time comes.

Meat and seafood freeze well when you get them from the grocery store! Unfortunately, if you cook something or marinate it, and leave it to sit in the fridge, it will get very tough or break down entirely. (This is especially true if you use a particularly acidic marinade.) Unless you get them already frozen, fruits and vegetables do not freeze well at all—water expands as it freezes, and your fresh fruit & veg are so watery that the ice completely ruins the cellulose structure and defrosting will make them mushy. If you have leftover cooked vegetables, those should be used in scrambled eggs or eaten with a sauce within the week. Cream-based soups and sauces freeze pretty nicely, you just have to be careful not to leave them long enough to get freezer burn. Freezing bread arrests the yeast and mold processes, so if you’re looking to keep your loaf from turning, stick it in the freezer in an airtight bag.

(I haven’t had a microwave in two years, so most of what I make is the kind of stuff I can reheat on the stove—or eat cold!)

Also, most food isn’t ruined by temperature---you can leave a lot of stuff out on the counter after cooking without fear of bacteria. However, too much exposure to the air will ruin just about any dish: creams curdle, meat toughens, vegetables soften, starches harden. If you’re going to store something at room temperature, stick it in a ziploc bag, plastic wrap, or aluminum foil quickly, and it’ll last longer even without the refrigerator.

4) Occasionally, try something new.

Obviously, as a uni student you should try lots of new things---but as a uni student cooking for yourself, I encourage you to occasionally experiment. Make bread, if you’ve never made bread before; try a desert if you’ve been focused on single-serving chicken breasts. Once every few months, try cooking or baking something you’ve absolutely never tried. (For hard mode, pick something completely out of the ballpark---for example, a couple months ago I tried to make a meringue and failed miserably. But I think I understand why I failed and that’s made me a better cook in the interim.)

It is, of course, very important that we eat in a way that serves our body and its needs. But at the same time, making food has always struck me as serving more than just need---we make food to show our love and appreciation for others (isn’t feeding an act of service?), to articulate desires we can’t verbalize, to satisfy unreasonable cravings, to demonstrate capability, to prove our worthiness, to offer something that isn’t-sex-but-is, etc. etc. etc. Food is very rarely ever just food. Which means that sometimes, we should sequester ourselves in the kitchen and see if we can make that....thing from the Great British Bakeoff.

As a footnote, I hope my coworkers enjoy haphazardly baked alaska.

#tw food #no love sincerer than the love of food #Anonymous

[jack-katz]

Advent Calendar: Day 1

TRADITIONS:

Are you a Grinch, or do you enjoy the holidays?: Jack definitely enjoys the holidays. Considering he’s lived away from his family for a handful of years now, it’s a time when he knows he’ll definitely get to see them. Sometimes he takes a trip up to Ireland to visit his uncles, aunts, cousins, and grandparents in his mother’s hometown and then flies over with a few to the states. It’s happened sometimes that he has work over the holidays, but he always tries to make it to his mother’s Christmas dinner - even if it means no sleep for 24 hours, sprinting though airports on short layovers, and losing luggage (because of course Jack has lost luggage).

On which day do you celebrate Christmas?: Christmas Day.

Is it a religious celebration or non-denominational?: Non-denominational. Jack’s father is Jewish, and though not a very faithful practitioner, he and the boys always took part in their extended family’s celebrations and then invited those family members to a Christmas dinner his mother put out. His mother was raised Catholic, but identifies in her adulthood as the classic “lapsed Catholic.” Occasionally she’d bring the boys to a Christmas mass if she heard the decorations were beautiful and the choir was wonderful.

Who do you usually spend the holidays with?: His family. As mentioned before, even when working, he always made it home at least for the dinner. 

What does your typical Christmas dinner include?: It’s traditional as can be. Roast turkey with stuffing, baked ham, potatoes (roasted with goose fat if his mother can get it), steamed brussels sprouts, glazed carrots, roasted parsnips (and occasionally other root vegetables), cranberry sauce, and bread sauce. Usually his mother finished it with a sherry trifle. 

Do you open your presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?: Christmas Day!

Do you still have a stocking?: Jack’s mother still hangs his stocking in their New York apartment and sends him a picture whenever she puts it up.

Do you still get an Advent Calendar?: No.

Do you leave all of your Christmas shopping until last minute, or are you organized?: Ha. Haha. Last minute, likely all bought on Amazon with overnight shipping. 

Do you take charge of the day, or are you the one in the corner sipping Baileys?: Bailey’s baby.

Any traditions passed down through the family?: Not really. 

Any weird things your family does that others don’t?: No, they get as drunk as every other family on the holiday.

Do you go all-out with decorations, or keep it basic?: Jack doesn’t decorate at all really in his own home, but his parents have a lot of basic yet classic decorations in their apartment.

Post a picture of what your Christmas tree looks like: Jack doesn’t have one. 

Do you ever spend the holidays away from home?: Yes, unfortunately.

Do you like to get a bit tipsy, or is it an alcohol-free zone?: Tipsy? Cute.

FAVOURITES/FUN BITS:

Favourite Christmas song: Dominick the Donkey

Least favourite Christmas song: Christmas Shoes. Outta here with that sad shit.

Favourite Christmas food: All of it.

Least favourite Christmas food: Brussels sprouts, if he had to choose.

Favourite Christmas movie: A Christmas Story

Least favourite Christmas movie: Fred Claus

Favourite Christmas tradition: Probably, in the last few years, meeting his family at JFK where they’re usually waiting with a bottle of Bailey’s already.

Ever re-gifted?: No. He’s bad about gifts but not that bad.

If you had an unlimited budget, what would you buy for the three most important people in your life?: For his mother - a significant donation for her non-profit. For his father - a relaxation room to attach to his office, so the door can remind him to take a break from work occasionally and just breathe. For his brother - the finest fountain pen and leather-bound notebook that money can buy.

If you could have any gift in the world, unlimited budget, what would it be?: A private jet.

Weirdest Secret Santa gift ever received: A dildo.

If you could kiss any fictional character under the mistletoe, who would it be?: Wonder Woman

If you were forced to wear an ugly sweater to an ugly sweater party, what would it look like?: This one.

What’s your go-to outfit for festive fancy dress?: Navy suit pants, brown loafers, and a light blue button-up. A navy patterned tie if he can remember it.

Christmas Day or New Year’s Eve?: Christmas Day. By a longshot. 

White Christmas or snow-free?: Snow-free. He usually celebrates in cities and it’s not the same as some rural or suburban town being coated in snow. 

MEMORIES: (feel free to write any of these as separate drabbles, and link them in later)

Earliest Christmas memory: His father trying to stick their menorah on the top of the Christmas tree.

Best Christmas memory: His father trying to stick their menorah on the top of the Christmas tree.

Worst Christmas memory: Having to tell his parents that TwoTwo was cancelled

Best Christmas present ever received, and who was it from: An unlimited MetroCard his parents gave him during his senior year so he could get from audition to audition

Best Christmas present ever sent, and who was it for: A plane ticket to Thailand for his brother

Someone you wish you could bring back for one last Christmas: Natasha

Have you ever been stuck somewhere else for Christmas?: Yes, he had to stay in London before filming Buddy Cop because of table reads the day after Christmas

#headcanon #about #th:family #advent calendar

[downtoearthmarkets]

You've heard the saying "good things come in small packages," but we will openly admit that opinions are mixed when it comes to Brussels sprouts. A quintessential ick food for kids (but not all kids!), a vegetable some eaters only come to enjoy as adults, the Brussels sprout regularly skirts the edges of trendiness but never quite hits the big time (hey, kale, we knew you when). Maybe 2020 will be the year. In the meantime, Brussels sprouts gain their moment of glory at this time of year on holiday tables. Why now? They are slow growers, taking three or more months to reach maturity for harvest, but they also love the cold. While we humans shiver through the first cold days of the season, Brussels sprouts hit their prime, becoming sweeter - yes sweet - after a frost. It doesn't hurt that they roast up nicely in a hot oven and add a welcome splash of green to the dinner spread when so many fall and winter foods come in a palette of russet and brown. The upside of it being so cold before Thanksgiving is that Brussels sprout season is going to be really good from the outset.

As the name implies, Brussels sprouts are a European thing. It may have been a vegetable that was always around but not very notable until it became a food fad in the Netherlands in the 1500s. Maybe you have heard of Tulip Mania? The Dutch were big on plant-based fads. In the 1700s French settlers brought Brussels sprouts to Louisiana and they spread across the U.S. from there. Now most are grown on the west coast and around 80% are sold frozen. So despite the fact that the northeast has a good climate for growing Brussels sprouts, if you want to get them fresh and local your best bet is to buy them directly from the farm via the farmers market, a farm stand or a CSA.

Brussels sprouts may seem like a dignified option at mealtime, but they come from a ridiculous looking plant. They grow in a spiral pattern up a tall, thick stalk with wildly protruding leaves. In the market you can find them cut from the stalk and sold loose or still attached to the stalk but with most of the leaves trimmed off. Buying them loose means the laborious task of cutting the tough stems has been taken care of for you. Unfortunately the large central stalk is too fibrous to eat but buying the whole stalk means the Brussels sprouts will stay fresh longer.  If you opt for loose, try to cook the Brussels sprouts the week you buy them to avoid losing sweetness and to avoid having to peel off more than one layer of dry/bruised outer leaves.

In the field Brussels sprouts look alien but they are just itty bitty cabbages. When you are in the farmers market, show your kids a big head of cabbage and compare it to a Brussels sprout. The idea of playing Godzilla to a plate of miniature cabbages might get them to try something new! Brussels sprouts are good for dogs too because of the fiber they offer. For pooches they should be cooked simply (try steaming) and served in limited quantities so as to not overwhelm their digestion. Humans can enjoy Brussels sprouts in an enormous variety of preparations. If you're not on board for what might be the hottest food trend of 2020 (we're just going to go ahead and call it), try Brussels sprouts in a completely different preparation than you have had before and you might start to see their appeal: raw and shaved into salads and slaws, pickled like sauerkraut, steamed whole, sliced and sautéed, halved and oven roasted or even quartered and deep fried.

#Brussels sprouts #fall food #autumn #autumn food #seasonal eating #seasonal food #seasonal produce #eat local #eat in season #new york food

[cooking-up-healthy-skin]

The 3 Day Alkalizing Cleanse

So at the beginning of the diet, you are supposed to do a liver detoxification cleanse and the book has all of the meals planned out for you. Unfortunately, food that helps cleanse your liver does not taste great!  This is also when we realized that pepper is not allowed in The Eczema Diet, which is a huge bummer because we both love spicy foods. Did I mention that I’m doing this diet with him so he doesn’t feel alone?  (He still doesn’t understand why I’m doing it, but I bet he would feel a lot worse if I were eating cheeseburgers and pizza in front of him every day)

We started together on Sunday May 28, 2017.

These are the rules for the cleanse:

Cook with fresh garlic and eat fresh cabbage or Brussels sprouts daily to enhance liver detox

Drink 5-8 glasses filtered water daily

Eat raw veggies daily (Only celery, mung bean sprouts, scallions, and iceberg lettuce)

Herbs to choose from are chives and parsley

You may have these steamed veggies: cabbage, green beans, Brussels sprouts, white potato, and choko

Don’t go hungry!  Have as much soup, casserole, and raw veggies as you like, and drink plenty of Tarzan juice* (at least two glasses)

It’s important to rest and not go out socializing during the cleanse, as you need to avoid all other foods and drinks for three days

* “Tarzan juice” is just 4 stalks celery, 2 ripe pears, and a couple handfuls of mung bean sprouts processed through a juicer.

Needless to say, those first three days were full of sleepiness and lackluster.  Coming from drinking coffee and eating candy daily did not make for a smooth transition.  It took a lot work to prepare and clean up after all of these meals, and they didn’t even taste mediocre.  In fact, my fiance unleashed some brutal honesty out on that second evening when I served the Chickpea Casserole, asking how it was.  I ended up crying!  That was when I realized what a very long, frustrating, tiresome journey we were stumbling into.  It’s too late to give up already!  We already bought a juicer, food processor, salad spinner, 3-tier fruit basket, and sprouting bags lol EDIT: The sprouts pictured above are apparently not the ones to consume in The Eczema Diet. You'll need to sprout your own. I will post a picture of mine.

#the eczema diet #eczema #karen fischer #3 day alkalizing cleanse

[diymeals]

Thai Calamari with Stir-Fried Veggies, Steamed Spring Greens, Roasted Zucchini, and Brussels Sprout Kimchi

Cleaning out your fridge and pantry after the holidays can be cumbersome, but the task becomes exciting if you know how to make use of leftovers. In fact, making use of leftovers is detrimental to reducing the amount of food wasted in the world. Did you know that about one-third of all food produced in the world is wasted every year? That’s about 1.3 billion tons, or 2.6 trillion pounds! Food waste is unfortunately inevitable with unpredictable circumstances like droughts or frosts, but we can definitely do our part to help reduce food waste dramatically. That quest starts in the kitchen; the less food we throw away, the more sustainably we can live. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, If merely a fourth of all food wasted around the world was salvaged it would be enough to feed 870 million hungry people.

I made a lot of food over the holidays, so there was a lot to work with. I happened to have leftover calamari, but you can use shrimp, scallops, or even mushrooms in its place. You could also sub out the zucchini for another type of squash, this is just what was in my fridge. 

There are several different cooking methods and techniques used in this recipe and they are used for the specific flavors and textures they produce. It’s all too common in home kitchens to have the impulse to throw all of your ingredients into a single pan or saucepot. Balance is achieved by utilizing different preparations for ingredients that ultimately end up in the same dish. By steaming the greens, roasting the zucchini, marinating the calamari, and stir-frying the vegetables, a better flavor profile is achieved than if all of the ingredients were simply cooked together in one pan. Making use of this practice not only shows more respect for the ingredients but elevates an otherwise good dish to a great dish.

Recipe:

For the calamari:

1/2 pound frozen calamari rings, thawed

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks

1 cup greek yogurt

1  teaspoon canola oil

1/2 teaspoon fresh mint

1/2 teaspoon fresh dill

1/4 teaspoon salt

For the veggies:

2 carrots, cut into strips

4 green onion bulbs, cut on the bias

1/4 red onion, sliced thin

2 garlic cloves, chopped

8-10 cherry tomatoes, halved

4 tablespoons Brussels Sprout Kimchi from Bernhardt’s Fruit & Veggie Farm

2 teaspoons toasted sunflower seeds, hulled 

3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil + more for stir-frying

1 tablespoon Mirin

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon Sambal (or similar red chili paste)

Pinch of salt & white pepper

For the greens:

2 cups spring mix

Water

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

For the zucchini:

1 zucchini squash, sliced into 1/4″ rounds

1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

First, thaw the calamari. Keep it in the bag, place it in a baking dish, and run cold water over the bag until the baking dish is filled. Use a plate or something with enough wait to keep the calamari submerged under the cold water. It’s important to use cold water because raw fish (and raw meat in general) contains bacteria that can cause food borne illness. These bacteria multiply rapidly when foods containing them are left at temperatures between 41 to 135 degrees Farenheit for prolonged periods of time. Not only that but hot water will actually begin to cook the fish, which we don’t want to do yet! Calamri doesn’t take long to thaw, but make sure to check that the water remains cold.

Add the remaining ingredients for the calamari to a blender and blend until smooth. Place the calamari in a bowl and pat them dry with a paper towel. Pour the marinade over it, cover, and keep in the fridge for at least an hour. This not only adds flavor to the fish, but will help tenderize it as well.

While the calamari is marinading, prepare the sauce for the vegetable stir-fry. The sauce is a vinaigrette that’s similar to the Duck Sauce you’ll find in Asian take-out spots but with way less sugar. You’re probably familiar with the term “vinaigrette” from browsing the salad dressings in grocery store aisles, but technically a vinaigrette is an emulsion of a lipid, vinegar, and a binding agent. An emulsion is a forced combination of two ingredients that wouldn’t normally blend together, the most common example being oil and water. Oil naturally sits on top of water because its density is greater, but they can be combined into a uniform consistency by whisking them together. The emulsion is only temporary, which is why we need the help of a binding agent or “stabilizer” to keep them together longer. In this recipe, the emulsion is formed between the toasted sesame oil and the Mirin, and the Dijon mustard and Sambal are the binding agents.

Mirin is one of my favorite vinegars because of it’s inherent sweetness and floral aroma. I could drink it by itself, but society frowns upon that. Place the toasted sesame oil, Mirin, mustard, and Sambal in a bowl and whisk until they’re combine and form a smooth consistency. Taste it, add the salt and white pepper, then taste it again. Adjust the seasoning to your liking if need be, but remember you can’t take away the seasoning once it’s added. It’s important to note here that to achieve the proper consistency for a vinaigrette you must use a ratio of 3 parts lipid (oil) to 1 part vinegar or else the emulsion will break and you’ll have a lumpy sauce. This is what it should look like:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl toss the canola oil, salt, and pepper with the zucchini slices, Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spread the zucchini slices out in a single layer. Roast in the oven for 10-12 minutes.

For the greens, you’re going to need a vegetable steamer and an appropriately sized pot of shallow, simmering water. You can just use the greens as they come, but steaming them unlocks more flavor. I add rice vinegar to my steaming liquid because it imparts so much more flavor to the greens, plus the rice vinegar is a great way to balance the greens with the rest of the components. Once you have the water and vinegar lightly simmering, place the greens in the steamer and steam in the pot, covered, for two minutes. Do not let them wilt. 

If you have a Wok, go ahead and bust that sucker out. A sautée pan will work, but a Wok will get you the best results. This is because a Wok’s sloped sides and round bottom allow for the food to cook while the juices glide down to the bottom of the pan and reduce. It’s also much easier to stir and toss the ingredients.

Get your pan hot. Like, really hot. You should see a little bit of smoke. Take the calamari out of the marinade and set aside. Discard the marinade. Now get ready, because things are gonna happen fast from here. Add enough toasted sesame oil to the pan to just coat the bottom. Add the garlic, then quickly add the red and green onions. Cook for two minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the carrots and cook for another two minutes. Repeat the same process for the tomatoes. After all the veggies have been incorporated, add the calamari, the vinaigrette, and the kimchi. Let it cook until almost all of the liquid has evaporated. Remove from the heat and stir in the sunflower seeds. Go ahead and taste it and adjust the salt and white pepper level to your liking. For me, the inherent saltiness from the kimchi, the vinaigrette, and the calamari was just enough.

To plate, place the steamed greens on a plate and form a little dome in the center with some of the greens. Spoon the stir-fry into the dome. Take 4-5 zucchini slices and shingle them across the top in an arc.

I really enjoy the flavors of this dish, but what really brings it home is this kimchi from Bernhardt’s Fruit & Veggie Farm in Elgin, TX. They’re a sustainable farm that’s locally owned and really are some of the nicest folks I’ve met. This kimchi is made entirely with their own crops and can be purchased at Elgin Local Goods. 

Please leave any questions you might have in the comments section! Check back soon for more #DIYmeals!

[anecdotaltruthbomb]

Finally I have an instant pot (a 6 quart pressure cooker) and I just cooked my first red cabbage, a small-ish 1400g head resulting in less weight, after removing the outer layer and the core, cut into 8 chunks, pressure-“steamed” for 7 minutes at high pressure, cut into mouth sized pieces with a scissor. Added some chia seeds along with the steaming water, which had touched the cabbage and was therefore saturated in red. No other ingredients. Enjoyed the meal. This portion size has only about 25g of fiber, not counting the chia. Let’s see how bloating it will be.

I tried some raw red cabbage once, which aside from being unchewable turned out to be toxic. I don’t remember the exact symptoms. People eat small amounts of it raw. This small amount business is so misleading. Plenty of foods are said to be okay raw, but are clearly not working as a staple food in monomeal portion sizes.

Anyhow, i just compared 25g of red cabbage to 25g broccoli, to practice my understanding of fiber quantities. Broccoli has less than half as many calories (40 vs 88), slightly more protein (25 vs 17 g) and massively more folate (570 vs 220 ug) and vitamin E (10 vs 1 mg), however broccoli has much less vitamin A (8.800 vs 13.400 IU). My program does not track Vitamin K1. K1 is important for bones and blood and protects against bad calcium dumping in soft tissues and is supposedly mainly found in greens, so i think that broccoli wins.

Red cabbage is dirt cheap, winning Dr Greger’s contest for the cheapest source of anti-oxidants, if i remember correctly. I think hibiscus tea was winner in the category of most antioxidants per calories. I drink 3 bags every day. Two to four bags is considered the safe amount. There is some concern that the acidity of hibiscus makes the aluminum content too bio-available. All tea has aluminum. Greens win for being most often declared anti cancer foods, especially cruciferous, but red beets, red cabbage, grapes and blueberries are also anti cancer. Red beets win Dr Gregers contest for the most colon cleansing / bile-binding type of fiber, followed by kale, cabbage, brussel sprouts. I have always liked red stuff more than green stuff (it’s denser in calories and i associate it with good blood, which i never took for granted) and I was also eating tons of red beets in recent years. I haven’t even tried many kinds of greens, ever. Clean bags of brussel sprouts and frozen spinach are my favorite greens, because of ease of practical handling. For a month now i was eating 750g of spinach every day. I did it for my bones. But i think it really helps my blood. My oncologist was surprised at how quickly my hemoglobin value has improved. Unfortunately the calcium of spinach is said to have a particularly poor absorption rate of only 5%, because of oxalates. So i still have a calcium deficit? Andrew Perlot discusses this subject here: https://renaissancehumans.com/plant-based-calcium-vegan-bones/