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Post in Besides Beauty
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What's on your plate?

Hello there, ladies and gents!

 

Keeping in line with all the fun and interactive threads asking about your most recent halls, items you have your eyes on, what you're currently wearing, what's your hair routine, and more, I've decide to branch out and ask:

 

"What's on your plate?"

 

The beauty world doesn't just stop at skin care and cosmetics, it also goes hand in hand with your overall health and well-being, so with that, I'm curious to see what we're all chowing down and snacking on be it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, or inbetween!

 

For those with apps that help count calories or to those who just want to keep a log, here's a place to share, possibly find and share some recipes, and even tips on maintaining a balanced diet.

 

Don't just share food items, but even drinks! I'm a huge fan of tea and at least have a cup of green tea a day (anti-oxidants) and drink plenty of water.

 

For lunch today, I had:

 

-Brown rice

-Steamed egg

-Steamed red snapper with green onion, sesame oil, and black pepper

-Gai lan (it's a type of Chinese vegetable/greens)

 

Now, tell me, Beauty Talk world, what do you have? 😄

Re: What's on your plate?

Dinner was "fried rice" that uses quinoa instead of rice. This had red and white quinoa. Other ingredients were rainbow carrots, mushroom, red onion and scrambled egg. The carrots were yellow (that's the yellow chunk you see), orange and purple.

 

quinoa-fried-rice-12-26-2014EDIT - Copy.jpg

 

ETA: I appear to be about the only one posting the last few days. I think I'll have to take a break from this thread. 😉

Re: What's on your plate?

Nooooo, don't take a break! I've been absent from BT more than usual because of the holidays, but don't stop posting!! 😛

 

Question for you, DiVWA since you mention quinoa often. I have a bag of red quinoa that I've picked up from Costco and no matter how it's prepared (rice cooker mixed with brown rice or solo over the stovetop), ever now and again it's like I bite into a piece of sand or grit but there's a sharp crunching sound. Nothing crazy inedible where I have to spit up my bite but it throws me in for a loop. When I prepare rice I soak it a run, toss my fingers through it and then strain the water out and then add in more (kind of a simple rinse/wash concept) but since quinoa is so light there's no real way to get it to settle in the rinse/wash process without pouring some down the drain and I hate to waste. Do you ever come across that bit of grit when you're eating? Maybe it's normal? I've also purchased bags of garlic brown rice and quinoa at Costco that are a heat in a bag and eat and those never have that grit bit.

Re: What's on your plate?

Lylysa, I almost didn't see this post since it dropped to page 2. Yes, I've had that gritty bit before. Some people think that quinoa should be rinsed before cooking, and I used to do so and lost quite a bit through my stainer. One time I forgot to rinse and I liked the taste better. One site tested two batches--one rinsed, one not--and found some differences in taste (site is thekitchn.com -- find the article by Googling "quinoa wash before cooking").

 

There is a blog entitled How to Remove Dirt and Sand from Your Quinoa (Google "quinoa grit") that maybe you want to look at. But it looks pretty involved..... but the blogger makes one point--the grit is same size as the quinoa grain pre-cooked, but when the quinoa is cooked, then it is smaller so easier to see.

 

I haven't bought the quinoa at Costco. I assume this is the Truroots brand? Maybe that one has more grit. I don't know. I get my organic red and white in bulk at a local market but I don't recall the brand. It's possibly Bob's Red Mill brand. Anyway, I don't seem to get much grit at all--maybe like every third time I eat it. I find the amount at Costco is too much for me to buy because I want it fresh and I like being able to get red to go with my white. I'm not sure if changing brands would help or if this is just one big negative associated with quinoa.

 

The main reason I like quinoa so much is that it's gluten-free, is like a grain (even though it's technically a seed), it has no arsenic (like rice, a gluten-free grain, which does), it keeps its shape, it's easy to cook/prepare, and its taste doesn't overwhelm other ingredient tastes. So I put up with the occasional grit. That said, if the grit were like a small stone, I'd probably not eat it because I'd be afraid of chipping a tooth. But as it is, it's an unpleasant but tolerable thing. But I don't blame you or anyone else for not wanting to eat it because of the grit. A good replacement would be organic couscous except it's not gluten-free.

Re: What's on your plate?

It's Earthly Choice for the red quinoa I have:

 

 

 

The rice mix bags that are heat and eat are Seeds of Change:

 

I figured that the washing process would be involved considering how tiny quinoa is to begin with and it's never like I can see the dirt/sand before even taking a bite. Out of all the times I've taken a bite it maybe only happens once per meal so it's not like every few bites it's a sharp grit feeling. 

 

I just Googled "quinoa grit" and see someone mentioning the Bob's Red brand that you did. I don't have any fine mesh strainers but I'm seeing those being used as a method in the cleansing/rinsing process. It's not a deal breaker for me but my bf has mentioned that even though the grit pieces are tiny and happen every now and again it still drives him nuts (to the point where we don't make it as often as when we first got the bag of it).

 

It's not like this though :P:

Re: What's on your plate?

Don't take a break!

I love looking at your yummies.

 

Are those carrots from Trader Joe's?

I love their heirloom carrots.

Re: What's on your plate?

Yes, these are rainbow carrots from TJ's.

 

Have you tried their parsnips yet? They're not organic but they're perfect--clean and the right color/texture. I hate it when stores let their parsnips and other root veggies sit in water and get limp. 😞

Re: What's on your plate?

I haven't tried their parsnips yet.

Honestly, I am not sure if I've ever had a parsnip.

Any delicious recipes for me, DiVWA??

(check out the begging kitten below.)

 

Re: What's on your plate?

What????? never tried a parsnip??????????? LOL

 

There are good and bad parsnips, just as there are good and bad people. Some parsnips I've gotten from grocery stores are sort of gross--limp with discolored skins. Parsnips are a lot like carrots in how they look (except parsnips are white) and in how they can go limp and have discolored skins and whatnot. TJ's parsnips are so nice and clean and firm and just perfect!

 

Always try to choose parsnips that aren't too thick, because, like carrots, if they're too thick then the center tends to be woody. (I think the woody parts of thick carrots end up being those "baby" carrots, which really aren't babies at all!) I tend to look through TJ's various bagged parsnips to find a bag that has more of the skinnier ones.

 

Parsnips taste a little bit sweet and sort of like carrot. I usually don't peel my carrots but I do peel my parsnips because the peel can be slightly bitter. You can cook parsnips the way you cook carrots--steam, roast, etc.

 

No new recipes. We tried the fried-onion polenta and it was most divine. My husband made polenta for last Polenta Friday and he used fried bacon. Either of these add-ins is so yummy --if you've been scared off even slightly by my polenta recipe, try adding bacon or fried onion.

Re: What's on your plate?

Mmmmm....you've just sold me on the parsnip.

I want my dad and I to start eating healthier in the new year and having more vegetables on our plates.

Are parsnips vegetables?

 

I would rather meet a bad parsnip than another bad person.

I just came across a dirty parsnip joke but I cannot share it, so here is a PG rated one. 

Spoiler

 One day two parsnips, who were best friends, were walking together down the street.

They stepped off the curb and a speeding car came around the corner and ran one of them over.

The uninjured parsnip called 911 and helped his injured friend as best he was able.

The injured parsnip was taken to emergency at the hospital and rushed into surgery.

After a long and agonizing wait, the doctor finally appeared.

He told the uninjured parsnip, "I have good news, and I have bad news.

The good news is that your friend is going to pull through."

"The bad news is that he's going to be a vegetable for the rest of his life".

 

I imagine you can use this one with any vegetable..

Re: What's on your plate?

Bwahahaha! Love it!

Re: What's on your plate?

So bad it's good! 😄

Re: What's on your plate?

Yes a parsnip is a vegetable.

 

My absolutely favorite vegetable =

Spoiler

Leafy greens. No, not spinach (which has oxalic acid in it that I try to avoid) but other leafy greens--kale, curly endive, chard, collards, etc. I used to make green smoothies every morning that had one leafy green in it with one fruit. But then I got super tired of the green smoothies. 

 

But for several years, for lunch almost every day, I eat a leafy green. Aside from the stronger ones like collards and mustard greens, most leafy greens can be eaten raw; I slice them thinly and then massage them with some olive oil. I put practically anything on top of my massaged leafy greens-- a protein of some sort (meat or egg or salmon), some other veggies (precooked or raw), some fruit (berries are particularly good), etc. I sometimes cook my leafy greens if other veggies I'm going to use need cooking anyway (like cauliflower, broccoli, etc.). But leaving the massaged greens raw and adding cooked items on top is fine because even if the leafy greens wilt, all is okay.

 

I try to make it so that my lunches are like this (with leafy greens, protein, other veggies, maybe berries) so that I don't have to eat a bunch of veggies for dinner (if I don't want to).

Re: What's on your plate?

Living in New England, my husband and I are staunch believers in the glory of the parsnip! 😄

Re: What's on your plate?

LOL "glory?" How do you like to cook your parsnips, jozkid?

Re: What's on your plate?

I hate to admit it, but my husband does pretty much all the cooking in our house because of my crazy work hours. So, having said that, he usually will throw them into a stew or with a roast or into a crock pot. Or he will sometimes julienne them and saute. I find them to be very sweet myself. My kids are less than enthusiastic about them, however. They only know for chicken nuggets. What can ya say? 😄

Re: What's on your plate?

Don't feel bad that your husband cooks, especially with your crazy hours. Cooking is a bit of experimentation and an art form too, and, unfortunately, for some people it's not second nature.

Re: What's on your plate?

Today is "Polenta" Friday so I made my standard butternut-squash "polenta" recipe but added in some chopped carmelized onion.

 

polenta-friedonion-12-26-2014EDIT - Copy.jpg

Re: What's on your plate?

Homemade pizza. Toppings were slightly sweetened tomato/BBQ sauce, thinly sliced fresh organic mushrooms, thinly sliced red onions, fresh organic arugala leaves, slices of Trader Joe's turkey-cranberry sausage, and fresh organic cranberries (unsweetened). 

 

pizza-12-21-2014EDIT - Copy.jpg

Re: What's on your plate?

nom nom nom nom....

That looks awesome.

Did you make the dough yourself?

We had pizza too, but it was from the Sausage Factory on Castro

The only place I get pizza in the city...

 

If any of you head out to San Francisco, two things can happen, I can either take you here or you can find it yourself!

 

Re: What's on your plate?

MMMMMMMMMMM

 

Yes I did make the dough. It's a bit like a cracker -- thin and crispy. Flour- and gluten-free.

Re: What's on your plate?

Recipe...please

I know somebody who is super gluten free and she loves pizza...

testing