What's for dinner?

As sore as I was when I woke up this morning, I managed to get an hour of bike riding in this afternoon. Of course, I forgot to take my camera with me but tomorrow I plan to run again and share the beautiful wilderness that is the Blackwater Valley.

I haven't really been up to cooking recently so I thought I would give it a shot this evening. I was able to find some quinoa at a small health food shop here in Farnborough. I was on a search for it for a while and had looked for it at all of the local grocery stores. Then I thought I'd ask Helen. She had never heard of quinoa, but once I described it, she pointed me in the right direction.

Quinoa is generally considered a "super food." It's packed with protein and all sorts of good stuff. Although it looks and acts like a grain, it is actually a seed. I use it in place of rice or couscous usually. It can be eaten as a side dish to just about anything or you can tip it with chili or pasta sauce. It's so versatile, which is one reason I love it.

This evening, I planned to make some quinoa, and curried tilapia out of some left over curry sauce and tilapia I had bought a while back.

While I simmered the tilapia in the sauce, I prepared the quinoa:

2 parts water or vegetable broth
1 part quinoa, rinsed
salt
1/4 cup fresh herb of your choice (I used basil)
1/4 cup nut of your choice (I used shelled pistachios)
1/4 cup diced cucumber

I used what I had on hand. Since I have a metric measuring cup and nothing else, I used 1 pint water and 1/2 pint quinoa (yeah yeah...dry measurements vs wet ones...but I used what I had and it worked).

Bring the water and salt to a boil. If using vegetable broth, no need to add salt. Add quinoa and cook covered for 10-15 minutes until the seeds split and it looks like it has a "tail."

Remove from heat and let sit covered for another 5 minuted until all water is absorbed.

Fluff with a fork and add the herbs, nuts and cucumber. I have never made the same recipe of quinoa twice. I have used various combinations of mint, basil or cilantro with pine nuts, slivered almonds or pistachios (like I said, use whatever you've got).

My tilapia didn't turn out too well, not bad but not excellent. The quinoa was the best part of the meal. I paired them with some cherry tomatoes but I ate most of them before they made it on the plate.

Looks like I'll be having leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

Cheers!

This is a story...

...about how this:

 turned into this:

Tada! I know I've been slacking on posting recipes here. I have struggled with making food in this apartment. I don't have the right appliances, utensils or even cookware. The stove I have to use is electric but does not cook evenly at all and sometimes turns itself off? Yeah that's a question because I really don't understand it. The oven has three nobs and I can't figure out what they mean (of course there's no instruction manual to go with it). I have flimsy post and pans and we were only given metal utensils to use with the teflon (don't worry, the guys went out and got wooden spoons before I even arrived). I don't have my food processor, mixer or any of my bakeware. I know this sounds like a lot of complaining but I've made do with what I've got. I have just taken everything for granted up until now. That's also why I haven't been cooking more than quick, simple, recipe-less meals.

Tonight was taco night, another recipe-less meal: brown some ground meat, add water and taco seasoning and simmer for 20 minutes. But I decided I wanted to actually make something. That something still had to be simple. I also decided I wanted some guacamole. Problem solved! I've never actually made guacamole. Believe me, I've eaten more than my fair share of it but I had actually never made it by myself. So I got some coriander (cilantro), hot red peppers, some avocados and a lime and headed home. I had some garlic on hand and added that to the mix.

Here's what I used (most are approximations of course since I don't have measuring cups either):

1 large clove of garlic
1 avocado
1/8 cup freshly chopped cilantro
1/2 seeded red pepper
1/2 lime's juice

Smash it all together (trying not to bend your fork) and voila! Homemade guacamole!

Eat it with some chips or atop taco trays! They are so much better than taco shells (what's up with those anyways?)

Menu Planning Monday

Last week's Menu Planning Monday was a flop. So i pretty much copied what I was going to do last week and plugged it in this week. Here is is on Tuesday!

Monday
      Breakfast: Greek Yogurt with Cheerios, Blueberries and Strawberries
      Lunch: Veggie Sandwich
      Dinner: Baked Ziti
Tuesday
      Breakfast: Greek Yogurt with Cheerios, Blueberries and Strawberries
      Lunch: Veggie Sandwich
      Dinner: Dinner at The Swan Pub
Wednesday
      Breakfast: Greek Yogurt with Cheerios, Blueberries and Strawberries
      Lunch: Veggie Sandwich
      Dinner: Baked ziti
Thursday

      Breakfast: veggie omelet and wholegrain toast and fruit

      Lunch: Jacket (baked) potato with Quorn (veggie) chili

      Dinner: Baked ziti

Friday
      Breakfast: veggie omelet and wholegrain toast and fruit

      Lunch: Jacket (baked) potato with Quorn (veggie) chili

      Dinner: Baked chicken with peas and risotto

Saturday
      Breakfast: French toast and fruit

      Lunch: Lunch in Portsmouth

      Dinner: Dinner in Portsmouth

Sunday

      Breakfast: French toast and fruit
      Lunch: Lunch out?

      Dinner: Dinner out?

Snack consists of a crumpet with margarine and raspberry jam and a banana. 

In other news, look what we got yesterday!

When the Husband got home, we headed over to Helen's. She offered a couple of bikes for us to use during our time here. 

They need to have a little bit of work done but at least we can explore more than our legs will take us. Mine's a tad too big but I'll make it work for the next 5 weeks. 

We got home and made dinner: Baked ziti, green beans and garlic bread.

I ended up taking more pasta than I thought so the Husband took a little back. 

Procrastinating

Today I did nothing. The Husband left early this morning to go to Harwich (which is three hours away) for work and won't be back until tomorrow. One reason I didn't do anything today was because I had a splitting migraine headache so I pretty much stayed in bed all day. It finally broke about 5:30 at which time, I left the flat to go get some dinner at McChina Wok Away. Just thought I would share that name with you. When I got back, I watched some TV, planned a tea party and looked at millions of pictures and videos of petit fours, tea cookies and french macarons. I really miss my Kitchen Aid mixer right about now. I haven't baked in about a month (the July 4th cupcakes really don't count). Good thing I made two cakes and a dozen cupcakes right before I left. I already have my brother's birthday cake on deck for the weekend after I get back home.

Now to backtrack. Yesterday was far more eventful. First of all, for a "job" that doesn't pay, helping out at the cake shop definitely comes with benefits. Yesterday, Helen cut some cakes and sent me home with the scraps. She also gave some to me at lunch with some butter cream and raspberry jam on it. YUM! We spent the rest of the day comparing the differences between American vs British cakes.

For two weeks, the City of Winchester has the Winchester Festival which consists of a series of speakers, writers, and musicians who share their craft.Yesterday, we wanted to hear a speaker talking about the history of MI6 (the Biritish intelligence) at 6:00 in Winchester. The Husband got off work right at 4:30, came home and we headed to the train station to catch the 5:13 train to Winchester. That's where the adventure begins. My watch was 10 minutes slow so I thought we had more time than we actually did. We ended up running the last chunk of the way and got there right at 5:12. Guess what! NO TRAIN! There had been a fatality earlier in the day and caused major delays causing our train to be canceled. So we had to take the 5:33 train which is a longer trip by 15 minutes and it was running another 5 minutes later. There was no way we were going to make it to Winchester in time. We got in just before 6:30 and caught a cab to Guildhall and snuck in to the talk:

I wanted to make sure we got good use of our day light so after the talk, we walked around town. Winchester used to be the capital of England and is very historic. I wonder what it was like to walk down this street hundreds of year ago. I wonder if the shop owners ever imagined that the second shop with a covered walkway would eventually become a Starbucks. 

 One street was a little quirky.

As we walked up the hill, we came closer to The Great Hall.

There is is! The Great Hall. Don't know what The Great Hall is? This is where the legendary King Arthur met with his knights.

Just behind these doors lies the Round Table. The sad news is, it was closed. Everything here closes at 5:30 during the week. But don't worry, we have already planned a weekend in Winchester before I head back home and of course, I'll take some pictures on the inside. 

Then we headed to Jewry Street. According to the Winchester Visitor Guide, Jewry Street got its name because it used to be the Jewish Street in town. I found this interesting for a variety of different reasons. First, it didn't actually get its name until after they had moved out. It is now a popular place for restaurants. Today I did a little bit of research on the street but wasn't able to find much. The Husband and I plan to go to the library (located on Jewry Street) and see what we can dig up in the archives.

I love traveling with another mind. While walking along Jewry Street, The Husband questioned whether this may have been a synagogue at one point. There is no steeple, which is common for these older churches and it looks like certain characteristics have been removed (like the plain plaque at the top and the new doors). We were unable to find a plaque but we hope to find more information on our next visit.

This was also on Jewry Street. The menu didn't look like more than burgers and chips so we went to a steak house right across the street.

I started with an apple and parsnip soup.

And moved on to the cod. The Husband had a steak that was overcooked of course, but that's how he likes it. Ew, well done. We shared some chips and then had a brownie and ice cream.

We've been really good up until last night about asking for tap water. If you don't, you end up spending about $5 on a pretty bottle of water. 

Oh well. Our night was still successful, we caught a train home and made it in well before midnight. 

It Finally Happened

Nearly three weeks into my trip here, I finally had some fish and chips.

It was just as bland and greasy as it looks and probably won't be indulging in it again anytime soon. The cider was good though. Last night, the roomie, Husband and I went to a pub called Ham and Blackbird. It's right by the train station was heavily populated but the menu was lacking a bit. We didn't stick around for the live music but will probably be back for more at a later date.

Today, I woke up bright and early and went to the travel agency to book our Belgium trip. We have had a few more issues by not having a chip and pin card and had to figure a way around paying for a vacation around that. We did it and it looks like we will soon be investing in a prepaid chip and pin card. It will solve countless problems. So before you go abroad, check to see if in fact your Visa or Mastercard is accepted worldwide.

Lunch

I came home and had some lunch which consisted of ratatouille and this beautiful salad of greens, goat cheese, pomegranate and pumpkin seeds topped with honey and mustard dressing.

Pomegranates can be a tricky fruit to deal with. There are approximately 613 seeds in each one (at least that's what I learned in Sunday school) and the juice stains everything it gets on. And it does get on everything. I can't remember where I came across this method but thought it was worth sharing with you.

You will need a sharp knife, a spoon and medium mixing bowl full of water. First, cut the pomegranate in half. Submerge one half in the bowl and scoop out the seeds with a spoon.

Next, you'll have to remove any rings that you are wearing and start to separate the pulp from the seeds. The water does three things: keeps the juice from staining your hands, keeps the juice from squirting everywhere and allows the seeds to sink to the bottom while the pulp stays afloat. Once the seeds have been separated, you can strain away the pulp and water, leaving delicious pomegranate seeds perfect for salads or simple snacking.

I counteracted this very nutritious meal by spending my evening at The Real China, a Chinese buffet in Camberley. The food was good and surprisingly, I didn't walk away stuffed. We got back and the Husband and I took our evening walk. We took a new route by his work. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera but we did find a cute park with some interesting structures. The Husband took this picture previously.

I am still not motivated to work out and expressed this to the Husband. He has been so supportive during my weight loss journey in every aspect and came up with a GREAT idea. He only works like a half mile away from the apartment and has to walk there every day. While I do walk around most days and then enjoy my evening walks, he suggested I wake up with him, walk him to work in my workout gear and then jog around town for a bit. I know everyone says you should work out in the morning but this may just help me get motivated.

Here's a new question for you:

What gets you motivated to workout in the morning?

A Sweet Picture

Last night was totally laid back but so nice. Shortly after my last post, the Husband came home from work. The roommate was on his way out of town for work for the night so it was just the two of us. I quickly whipped up some Indian food complete with butternut squash basmati rice and na'an of course! No recipe this time, since it's just chicken and veggies in a simmer sauce.

Since the sun doesn't set until 10pm or later, we have decided to take a walk after dinner. There was a park I had seen a few times by the train station so we took a stroll and walked around the Queen Elizabeth Park.

The park was not exactly as I had imagined but we went exploring anyways. It wasn't very populated but so natural.

We found a bench to sit down on and enjoy the dessert we picked up on our way to the park.

Now THAT's a sweet picture.

Nothing comes between the Husband and chocolate, not even me holding the spoon ransom.

It was a little pathetic so I gave in.

We also met some friends. The lab just ran up and gave me his stick to throw. I humored him just as much as he humored me. His friend didn't know what was going...he was just chasing the lab.

Then we came across a play ground. Check out the awesome swing!

They even had rock walls. Sadly, we couldn't even go in. Remember the signs that say "children under XX not allowed unless with adult"? This is the opposite , apparently. Check out the last line before the "DO NOT" signs: "No adults unless with children."

It started to look like it was going to rain so after almost 2 hours, we headed home. We took a detour into a residential area and met some more friends.

This maine coon reminded me of Franklin (Falafel's best friend and former roommate). The owner of the house where we met this guy also has another maine coon.

We made it home dry and called it a night. 

Breakfast


This morning, I woke up and made breakfast. On the menu was coffee, plum, and an English muffin with laughing cow cheese, Quorn back (vegetarian) and tomatoes. YUM!

I have learned that England is extremely vegetarian friendly. There's a much wider selection of faux meat products than what I'm used to and all restaurants offer a variety of vegetarian options. I am not a vegetarian but I do love veggies.

Lunch

Around 11:30 I started lunch. I got my inspiration for ratatouille over at Gina's Skinny Recipes. How good do these colors look?

Here's what I used:

1 tsp olive oil

4 cloves garlic

1 large leek, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

1 bell pepper (any color, I used orange), chopped

1 large eggplant, chopped

6 small tomatoes

1 zucchini, sliced

Fresh basil

Fresh parsley

salt and pepper

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

The recipe called for two onions. I the onions that I had were small and I had a leek that was on it's last day. Good thing you just peel back the layers to the good part!

In a bit of olive oil, I cooked the onion, leek, 4 cloves of garlic and just one bell pepper (I decided to leave the red one out because they were both good size peppers and the one looked like enough).

After about 5 minutes, I added the tomatoes and eggplant. I forgot to salt the eggplant before I added it but it came out great anyways. I also didn't peel the eggplant. I like to leave the skin on everything I can even down to kiwis. A little extra fiber never hurt anyone.

Cover it and let it simmer for 15 minutes.

Add the zucchini and cover to simmer for another 10.

I added salt, pepper, basil and parsley and a blend of dried herbs we had on hand. The last step of the recipe calls to add breadcrumbs. The bread crumbs absorb most of the remaining liquid. I did this step but will leave it out in the future as I made some couscous to accompany the ratatouille. 

All-in-all, it was very good. It was so nice to have a fresh light meal here since everything is very heavy. If I were at home, I would have added a few more herbs like thyme and rosemary (which are called for in the original), but I'm the only one in the house that would use such ingredients and I'm only here for seven more weeks.

I had the ingredients for a summer salad which looks delish but I was quite satisfied with what I had.

I also got to Skype with my mother today (Hi, Mom). I've been in contact with her but it has been almost a week since I've heard her voice.

I suppose you've had enough of this post by now, so until next time, cheers!