Tag Archives: onion

Carrot And Yam Soup

The carrot and yam soup is a delicious number on account of the strong flavor of the yams. Not only is it delicious, but it warms you to the soul!

What you’ll need (feeds 1):

  • 2 large yams
  • 2 medium carrots
  • 1/3 cup barley
  • 1/2 cup split lentils
  • 3 slices onions
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • oregano
  • paprika
  • ginger
  • nutmeg
  • chili powder
  • bay leaf
  • salt/pepper
  • spoon of butter

To start, get about 4 cups of water boiling (depending on the size you’re planning on making).

Peel the yams, and chop them up into cubes to get them cooked as quick as possible. Put them into the boiling water.

Then wash and dice the carrots, as well as the garlic and onions. Put those into the frying pan, with a spoon of butter and fry them to bring out some flavor. You know its ready when the onions have turned a clearer color.

When these are done, put them into the boiling yams and add the split lentils and the barley.

Add all the spices you want, I went heavy on the ginger, salt, pepper, and oregano. The chili powder and the paprika added a nice flavor. I find that in soups, all the spices become less dominant, so don’t be afraid to put a lot in.

Let this boil for about 15 minutes so all the flavors mix and the split lentils and the barley cook properly.

When this is done, stick it into the blender, and blend it up! I usually have to do it in about 2 or three portions, for the soup tends to be thick and it doesn’t fully mix in the blend. Don’t forget to take out the bay leaf though!

Put it back on the oven and put it on low heat (simmer) for about another 10 minutes. Stir it constantly and keep it covered so splattering doesn’t occur.

yam&carrotSoup-4

Pork Rust

The Pork Rust is so named this way because the rusty look that roasting or frying the veges get.

What you’ll need to feed two healthy bellies:

  1. 2 steaks of pork
  2. 2 yams
  3. 1 red & 1 yellow pepper
  4. 2 slices of onion
  5. 3 cloves of garlic
  6. 4 large mushrooms
  7. Half a cup of frozen peas and carrots
  8. 1 small chili pepper
  9. 2 slices of cucumber
  10. 2/3 cup of rice
  11. Extra virgin olive oil
  12. Teriyaki sauce

Spices:

  1. Sesame seeds
  2. Tarragon
  3. Dill

I always start off when I have potatoes boiling enough water to boil the taters. Get the water boiling. Dice up the yams while your waiting for it to boil, for when it does, put the cubes in. I usually add dill to the rice and the potatoes.PorkFry-3Then measure out 2/3 a cup of rice, and rinse it a few times, then match the rice with water (this is for jasmine or basmati, brown rice takes different quantities). Once you have it measured, bring the water to boil and then turn it down very low for 15 min.

Once these two are going, fry the pork, with about 1/2 a teaspoon of tarragon, and sesame seeds. I also put a dose of teriyaki sauce on it right now. Mix the spread around a bit so it is evenly spread across the whole pork, this gives it delicious flavor.

When the pork has just been put on, I’ll dice up the onions and garlic and put them in their own frying pan with some olive oil to get them cracking. After these have been frying for a few minutes I will add the rest of the diced veges to the fry.

When I flip the pork after about 5 min, just check the bottom you want to see a bit of brown if its on a fairly hot heat. Don’t crank the heat or you’ll just burn the pork and keep it raw on the inside.

PorkFryKeep an eye on the rice, when its done if you timed it right, everything else will be done and you’ll have to only make a nice garnish to suit your style. I choose a diced cucumber with some sprinkled sesame seeds and tarragon with a bit of dill.

Does it look yummy? How did yours turn out?

 

Red Chicken Pasta Sauce

Today’s dish is Red Chicken. Its a pasta dish that’s served with a homemade tomato paste sauce, and is oh so delicious. I will refrain from going through how to make the sauce, for you can find it here.

What you’ll need:

  • spaghetti (a moderate fist full usually is enough for 2)
  • chicken
  • 1 in total peppers (red, orange, yellow)
  • 4 medium mushrooms
  • onion
  • garlic
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • sesame seeds
  • poppy seeds
  • tarragon
  • ginger
  • ground coriander seed

chicken speghetti 04

I start right away before I take anything out to boil a pot of water for the spaghetti. Get this on for it will take as long or exactly the same amount of time as the chicken does.

The, start as usual with some olive oil in the pan, and turn on the burner to put the chopped up, bite sized chicken into the pan to fry.

When this has been started, add your spices. I use a lot of sesame seeds, tarragon, and poppy seeds. The others vary greatly depending on the mood. Ginger is good, not really necessary to be careful with.. Very good and distinct tastes to the dish.

I like to keep the chicken portion of this fairly ‘chicken-y’ tasting, for it keeps the taste different than the sauce that you’ll be adding later, so I try not to mix spices to much.

Stir this nicely and then get chopping!

I try and get the onions and garlic into the chicken as soon as possible. Adds flavor to the chicken I find.

chicken speghetti 01

When the chicken is nearly done, add the veges to fry for a little while. Personally, I enjoy having veges that are warm, and soft, but still hold their shape, so I find the perfect time to add them is right when almost all the pink in the chicken is gone.

After the chicken is done, Add the pasta sauce you’ve already made.

chicken speghetti 02Stir this for a short time, just to get things nicely mixed, and then serve!

chicken speghetti 03_0Enjoy!

Eggplant Mingus

What is now to be known as Eggplant Mingus was made tonight, called so for its wide variety of foods in the dish.

EggplantMingus

What you need to feed two healthy boys:

  • 1 yam
  • 1 sweet potato
  • 1/2 eggplant
  • Handful of asparagus
  • 2 breasts or 4 thighs of boneless chicken (with bones you’ll need more)
  • 3 big mushrooms
  • 2 slices of onion
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Balsamic vinegar

Spices:

  • Paprika
  • Tarragon
  • Chili powder
  • Sea salt and pepper
  • Oregano
  • Sesame seeds

To start, I always get the water boiling for the potatoes. They should be washed and diced into your own style of chunks for boiling. When the water comes to a boil put them in.

EggplantMingus-2The Eggplant should be chopped into ~1-2cm slices and put on a pan to let the eggplant sweat. After 5-10 min they’ll be sweating, wipe that off and lightly cover them with a mixture of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, oregano, and salt. Remember to save half for when you flip them in the pan. Once you’ve got the mixture on the eggplant, turn the pan on fairly high because to make sure you get them nicely browned. Watch them carefully though, cause they can burn quick.

EggplantMingus-3

Chop up the chicken and put it into the frying pan with about a half teaspoon of paprika, tarragon, chili powder, oregano and sesame seeds on the chicken, as well as a bit of olive oil to hopefully stop the chicken from sticking to the pan. Put this on med-high heat, and fry.

When the chicken is nearly done, I add the mushrooms chopped into cubes, and the diced onions to give it a interesting flavor. The eggplant should be flipped by this time, and working on its second side.

I would also at this point put in the asparagus. I just put mine in with the potatoes because I was running out of elements. They really don’t need to cook for long, ~ 3 min.

EggplantMingus-4

Take some time to add something pretty to the dish, I chopped up some cucumber into almost all the way through slices, and then sliced some thing leaves of red pepper to stuff in each slice. It adds some more veges to the mix, and bring a whole lot of color!

Don’t be afraid to put an extra dash of salt on the eggplant!

Look good? Tell me how yours went!

Enjoy!

Eating Right

To stay healthy you DO NOT need to have vaccinations and drugs. A body is an amazing thing, and fed with the proper food, you can fight off nearly anything.

We’ll list some of the healthiest foods that if eaten, will provide your body with the necessary nutrients to fight off most colds, and keep the immune system alert and strong.

Garlic: Garlic is one of the healthiest foods you can eat. If you’re feeling a slight sore throat or cough, eat about 3 or 4 cloves of garlic. Warning: don’t do this on an empty stomach, you’ll get major heart burn, do it with a meal, after or just before a meal to allow other food to get digested with it.

garlic

Onion: Onion is also a magic food where it helps fighting off all sorts of sickness and disease.

Broccoli: Broccoli is one of the most nutritious vegetable there is. Try sticking some into most of your dishes, if you break it up small enough, it’s hard to even notice its introduction into your meal.

Fruits: Having fruits will give you your vitamin C requirements, as well as many other nutrients. They don’t say an apple a day will keep the doctor away for no reason.

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Meat: If you are exercising regularly, to gain that muscle mass you’re looking for, you need to give it the proteins it needs. A can of tuna is always a very good choice, but a steak or a chicken breast will also do the trick properly.

Rice: Rice is a marvelous addition to any meal. My secret is for any amount of rice, is the amount of water you put in, bring it to a boil, then turn heat as low as it can get and wait 20 minutes for it to be done. I use basmati rice most often.

I feel it very important to stay away from the following foods: sugars, chocolate, potato chips, canned foods, pre-packaged dinners, and dairy products. Just by staying off of these foods you will notice a difference in body weight, energy levels, and skin complexion. Just simply removing dairy products will reduce body fat, clear complexion and eliminate upset stomachs in many cases.

Remember, you are seeking to better yourself, and stuffing yourself silly will not better yourself. It will give you a bloated stomach and a lack of motivation for a very long time, but nothing more.

chicken speghetti 03

This is not just a change of a few little foods that you eat, this is a major shift in your thinking habits. You want to be stronger, you want to be thinner, you want to grow your mind and body into a force to be reckoned with, so don’t kid yourself with over eating or being lazy.

Eat Right!