Carb Crazy and Italian Inspiration

I’ve already mentioned in the previous post that me being in the first phase of the intuitive eating path basically equals me eating a lot of ‘bad’ stuff to prove to myself that I can have them.

So yes I eat more sweets, but  most noticeable is my bread consumption.
You see, before intuitive eating I had created this habit of staying away from bread as far as I could for most of the week and giving myself a free pass to eat ‘some’ bread in the weekend. I guess it’s not surprising you that that was not how it went in the weekends, once I started to eat bread I just couldn’t stop.

The intuitive eating book has an amazing chapter about how we need carbs as our basic fuel and of how our body reacts to the absence of it. This  made me realise that it wasn’t because of my lack of willpower or my extreme fancy for bread that I acted the way I did, my body was just screaming for the carbs I did not give it and as soon as I would have some all it could do was ask for more and more and more…

So yes, I am eating more bread now, but paradoxically I might be eating less bread when you look at my week’s total! Crazy business indeed.

And because all of you should get your carbs in – you know, in order to not go crazy and consume everything in sight after I while – I suggest having bruscetta for lunch/dinner/now, just because you feel like having it!

‘Easy Bruscetta’

• ciabatta bread
• tomatoes
• mozzarella
• pesto
• herbs and spices of choice: I used a spaghetti mixture with basil oregano and paprika powder
• other veggies of choice

You can use of fresh loaf or ciabatta bread, I used that kind of bread you still have to put in the oven for about 10 minutes before you can eat it.

If you use the ‘not-yet-baked-kind’, bake it in an oven on 220°C (430F) for a couple of minutes before adding the toppings and place it back for about 8 minutes afterwards. Otherwise just add the toppings and bake/grill in the oven for about 8 minutes on 220°C.

Served with spinach, peaches, avocado and coleslaw.
See I don’t just eat bread you guys 😉

Love, M.

Smells like fresh Tomatoes

When I have to pick one reason why Spring is amazing, the fact that tomatoes get more taste and more scent must be the best!
Well, that and having the possibility to take a noon yoga class in the sun and deciding to skip a n English literature class so I can sit and drink tea with fellow yoga lovers after that class. For the next three weeks I won’t be able to take any classes (this Friday I’ll be leaving for Rome and when I come back it will be Easter Break so I will be at home for 2 weeks), I’m going to miss it!

But  back to those tomatoes: I’ve been addicted to them lately.
There’s been a certain shift and now they are in Spring mode, they don’t taste like just water any more and that scent…
I swear, the scent on the stem of fresh tomatoes must be one of my favourite scents on the earth!

Tomato stuffed with chickpeas, avocado, sauté mushrooms and the pulp of the tomato. Sprinkled with some pepper and sea salt on top. And if you’can’t get enough of all that tomato, add some ketchup

Do yourself a favour, go buy some tomatoes… and don’t forget to smell them!

Love, M.

Saturday Stuff

Look at this adorable little mouse!
Daphne had to sculpt figures out of marzipan in school  and was allowed to take them home afterwards. Lucky us! My mum and I love marzipan, especially when it’s looking cute.

Last night we visited my aunt and niece, I cooked dinner for them and we had a lovely time. I made curried scampi and it was a real hit!

New shoes!
I love them, they’re really comfortable and very pretty.
Mona likes them as well, she keeps purring when I wear them and she rubs her head against them and even licks them. No need for shoe polish in this house!

Saturday snack: fresh pineapple.

Saturday lunch: scrambled eggs with spinach,tomato and mushrooms, avocado, a bowl of chickpeas with pepper and a ciabatta bread with philadephia and basil cheese.
I had a couple of helpings of granola afterwards and I’m still craving more.
I know I’m supposed the be detoxing but it’s that time of the month and I just can not stop eating… so frustrating. I thought eating chickpeas with lunch would do the trick and leave me satiated but I just want carbs and chocolate!Now!!

Love, M.

Eat your Colours

Here’s a little secret: I used to absolutely loath peppers!

They look innocent enough, but there was just something about their smell and especially something about their taste that made me gag.

I wouldn’t eat anything with peppers in it, not my mum’s spaghetti sauce, not a salad with the slightest trace of peppers, no peppers in soup (they were the worst actually)…
But things have changed miraculously since the discovery of stuffed peppers.

I don’t know whether it has to do with the stuffing, or whether peppers in the oven just taste better than others.

No worries though, I’m not turning in to a pepper-lover, I still only really like the yellow ones, the other ones, I can tolerate more or less.

‘Couscous stuffed Peppers’
serves 4 as a side, 2 as a main dish

• 4 peppers
• a cup of couscous
• a cup of boiling water
• one carrot, chopped
• a small shallot, chopped
• 4 handfuls of mushrooms, chopped
• 1 tomato, chopped
• a few handfuls of chickpeas
• pepper, rosemary thyme and garlic
• olive oil
• optional: some tomato purée
• optional: tomato ketchup to serve them with (highly recommended!)

Cook the couscous according to the directions on the box (add the liquid and give the couscous some time to absorb it). In a small skillet, stew the shallot and the carrot until tender.
Mix this with the couscous and the rest of the veggies (they can stay raw, they’ll get tender enough in the oven, the carrot on the other hand will stay a bit too hard if you don’t stew it before it goes into the oven). Season the mixture.

Preheat oven to 150 a 160°C (310F).

Decapitate the peppers and clean them, fill them with the couscous and veggies and sprinkle some olive oil on them.
Now put them in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes.

Love, M.

Sushi?!

Remember that couscous featured in last night’s post?
That couscous I had great plans with for today’s lunch?

Yep, this is the couscous we’re talking about.
The leftovers from yesterday’s dinner made a great base for today’s lunch:

‘Smoked Salmon Couscous Salad’
Inspired by Giraffe’s salmon and sushi salad

• 100 gr (3/4 a cup) of couscous
•  the same amount of boiling water
• one tomato
• half an avocado
• half a granny smith apple
• pepper and dried garlic
• half a zucchini
• some olive oil
• smoked salmon
• a carrot
• optional: soy sauce

For the couscous: pour the boiling water over the couscous, let it rest for a couple of minutes until all the water is absorbed then ‘fluff’ the couscous with a fork (you can also add some olive oil at this point). While the couscous is resting chop up the tomato, apple and the avocado and add this to the couscous when it’s done, add pepper and garlic to spice things.

Grill the zucchini in a skillet on high in some olive oil. When it’s done place it on the bottom of the bowl. Spoon some of the couscous salad on top of that. Top it off with shreds of smoked salmon and carrot. You can always add some soy sauce for extra flavour. 

All the salmon used in this post was Mona-approved 

Not to shabby, right?
But for my birthday (in about a month) I’d really like some real sushi for once, living in a small town is such a pain when it comes to raw fish cravings …

Love, M.