A surprising ingredient…

Three days off of working out, loads of vitamin C, and a pot of Tom Yum later, I am no longer sick! Getting back into the swing of things was harder than anticipated though. I felt so weak back at the gym and had to remove weight from several lifts, though I don’t think that too much of that was due to actual strength loss. When sick, I try to get in plenty of calories and extra protein, to give the body what it needs to fight the infection and prevent muscle loss. Did you know that when you have a fever, for every 1 degree above ~98.6 you are, your basal metabolic rate is increased by 8%? Your body has to synthesize all the antibodies, B cells, and T cells, to fight off whatever it is – and those are all made from protein!

Since veggies are the least appealing when sick, I made a huge stirfry once I felt better. I tossed everything in a peanut-coconut sauce. I swear that combo can do no wrong. Coconut milk + peanut butter = gold. Howeverrr, I did something a little cray and used vanilla coconut milk for the sauce – and it was out of this world. You must try it!

Chicken and vegetables in a vanilla-coconut peanut sauce

Recipe: Serves 2

• 2 chicken breasts, cooked
• 1 cup quinoa or brown rice, cooked
• cilantro, for garnish

For the stir fry -

• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp grated garlic
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 2 baby bok choy
• 2 handfuls brocoli florets
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 5 green onions
• 6 stalks dino kale
• 1 tsp chopped chili pepper (or pinch cayenne pepper)

For the sauce -

• 2 tbsp chunky peanut butter
• 3-4 tbsp So Delicious Sugar Free Vanilla Coconut Milk beverage (or sub in coconut milk and add 4 drops vanilla extract)
• 1 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
• 1/4 cup cooked winter squash (or sub canned pumpkin or cooked sweet potato)

Directions – Place a pan on the stove on medium heat. Add the oil, garlic and ginger and let cook until fragrant, a minute or two. Chop all the vegetables and pull the kale leaves from the stalks and shred. Add all of the veggies to the pan except the kale and stir fry. Once they are about a minute from being soft to your preference, add the kale. Once the kale has wilted, remove from heat.

Slice the cooked chicken breasts into small strips. Combine the chicken and veggies in a bowl. Prepare the sauce by mixing the PB, coconut milk, tamari, and squash in a little bowl. Stir until homogenous. Pour the sauce over the veggies and chicken and toss until coated. Serve with grains.

Benefits:

Peanuts * a great source of manganese, Vitamin E, tryptophan (calming!), niacin, folate, and copper! Peanuts also contain lots of healthy monounsaturated fats and antioxidants! They have been linked to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and have been shown to significantly lower your chances of getting colorectal cancer.

Chilies * filled with capsaicin which can help fight inflammation. They have also been shown to reduce cholesterol and blood triglycerides, and thus can be considered heart healthy. The heat that you feel after eating chili peppers has to come from somewhere – that would be your metabolism! Also, a recent study showed that eating just a little chili pepper a day helped participants sleep better that night.

Garlic * packed with antioxidants that fight aging, cancer, and heart disease. Garlic can lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels and eliminate free radicals (which cause cellular damage). It is also used to treat asthma and certain unpleasant infections.

Bell peppers * an extremely potent source of vitamin C, vitamin A, and antioxidants. They also contain fiber, B6, folate, and vitamin K.

Coconut * coconut gets a bad rap because of its saturated fat content, but its fatty acids are mainly medium-chain triglycerides, not long-chain. The long-chain triglycerides are bad for our cholesterol levels, but coconut has been shown to improve cholesterol levels. Animal studies suggest that medium-chain triglycerides can increase metabolism.

Love me some Tom Yum

I’m sick .

It started with Liz about three days ago. She said she felt a little under the weather and wasn’t as insanely happypeppyfabulous as she normally is. She kept to her bed a bit more than usual. Then, last evening, I started to develop a slight wheeze. I sounded like an old man trying to fight off consumption. I think Ive got the black lung, Pop. Then, early this morning, Anna’s boyfriend emerged from her bedroom and declared “Anna’s sick.” He wandered into the kitchen and stared blankly at a canister of Quaker rolled oats. “What do I put in oatmeal?” he asked. A non-instant newbie, I instructed him: Milk. Cinnamon. Raisins. Almonds. Almond butter. A pinch of salt.

As I prepared my own breakfast, I felt it. The body aches were sprouting from the center of my upper back and unraveling into my shoulders and limbs. I felt chilled and searing hot at the same time. And I couldn’t taste my belgian waffle. Pissed.

So, all I have done today is lay in my bed and study and waste time on the internet. I left the house once to go to Reproductive Nutrition and pick up some fish sauce from the local Asian market. It is the one ingredient that has evaded me for years. Damn that fish sauce. Of course it only comes in monstrously large bottles, because it is such a cooking staple for a significant portion of the world. I also picked up some lemongrass and thai chilis. I’ve got Tom Yum on my mind.

Thai food is not something I ever crave, unlike “New American” cuisine, Tex Mex, hippy food, and the occasional sushi and Chinese food. However, every time I do encounter Thai food, I love it. It is incredibly nourishing while still being full of flavor. The creamy coconut milk, spicy chilis, salty fish sauce, aromatic spices, and sweet rice come together in a symphony of deliciousness.

Tuesday, in my MCAT class, my friend Jacqui brought Tom Yum soup to class and taunted me with it for the following three hours. A drop of saliva literally fell onto my Ochem book. It was disgusting.

So, tonight I finally made my own Thai food and I would just like to say

it was superb.

And the perfect remedy for a sneezy, sickly college kid.

Traditional Thai Tom Yum Soup

Recipe: Makes 2 large servings

Prep time: 15 minutes *  Cook time: 30 minutes * Difficulty: Low

from Thaifood.com

• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 stalk lemon grass, lower 1/3 finely minced
• 3 kaffir lime leaves (fresh or frozen at Asian stores)
• 20 raw shrimp, shelled (about 40-50 g protein worth)
• 2 tbsp fish sauce (I used 1 1/2)
• 1-2 small red chilies, minced (I used 1)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• Handful shiitake mushrooms (I used 2 crimini)
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1/2 green bell pepper
• 1/2 – 1 can coconut milk (USE FULL FAT, YA HO!)
• 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• optional: additional vegetables (I used 2 baby bok choy and a handful of mung bean sprouts) additional chilies, chili sauce, brown sugar, or lime juice

Directions - 

1. Pour the stock into a deep cooking pot and turn heat to medium high. Add lemongrass to the pot, including the upper part you didnt mince. Boil 5-6 minutes, until fragrant.
2. Reduce heat slightly to a simmer. Add garlic, chili, lime leaves, and mushrooms to broth. Simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Add shrimp, bell pepper, bok choy, and bean sprouts. Simmer 5-6 minutes, or until shrimp are pink.
4. Turn down the heat to low and add 1/2 can of coconut mlk plus the fish sauce. Taste test the soup for spice and salt, adding more chili or fish sauce as desired. If too sour, add 1 tsp brown sugar. If too salty, add a squeeze of lime juice. Add more coconut milk for a creamier soup (I added the whole can).
5. 5. Serve in bowls with fresh cilantro (aka coriander) sprinkled on top. Enjoy!!

Seriously, just put on your big girl panties (or briefs?)  and go buy the “exotic” ingredients. This is a recipe worth repeating again and again. You can freeze the lime leaves and the fish sauce stays good…. forever.

Benefits:

Chilies * filled with capsaicin which can help fight inflammation. They have also been shown to reduce cholesterol and blood triglycerides, and thus can be considered heart healthy. The heat that you feel after eating chili peppers has to come from somewhere – that would be your metabolism! Also, a recent study showed that eating just a little chili pepper a day helped participants sleep better that night.

Garlic * packed with antioxidants that fight aging, cancer, and heart disease. Garlic can lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels and eliminate free radicals (which cause cellular damage). It is also used to treat asthma and certain unpleasant infections.

Shrimp * extremely high in protein and low in fat! Contains selenium, tryptophan, vitamin D (key for bone health), B12, iron (needed for a healthy thyroid), phosphorous, B3, and zinc. The fat that shrimp does contain is the healthy monounsaturated kind.

Bell peppers * an extremely potent source of vitamin C, vitamin A, and antioxidants. They also contain fiber, B6, folate, and vitamin K.

Coconut * coconut gets a bad rap because of its saturated fat content, but its fatty acids are mainly medium-chain triglycerides, not long-chain. The long-chain triglycerides are bad for our cholesterol levels, but coconut has been shown to improve cholesterol levels. Animal studies suggest that medium-chain triglycerides can increase metabolism.

sauteed chicken and sweet potatoes with creamy dijon sauce

Hello!

So far, my new years resolutions have been going pretty well. I have been working on being more patient, open-minded, giving and flexible. There have definitely been a few difficulties along the way, but in the end, they have only increased my determination to reach those goals. I have particularly been excelling in my blog resolutions – I have over 10 recipe posts ready and waiting for y’all! I have been scouring blogs for recipes to make and planning them out during the week. Because I lack creativity in the dinner department (typically because I am so tired I want to keel over by 7pm), I have focused on dinner recipes. Due to the fact that I like to get in lots of protein and I like chicken – y’all have about 6 different chicken dinner recipes coming. I will try to space them out though so as not to get repetitive… This one incorporates one of my favorite, most versatile ingredients – mustard!

Sauteed Chicken and Sweet Potatoes with Creamy Dijon Sauce

Recipe: Makes 2-3 servings

adapted from Very Culinary

• 2 chicken breasts
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup white whole wheat flour
• 1 tbsp garlic infused grapeseed oil (divided)
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 rosemary sprig
• 1/4 cup whipping cream (or half & half)
• 4 tsp brown or dijon mustard

Directions -

Sprinkle chicken with salt. Dredge in floud and shake off excess. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add half of the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken and saute for about 4 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate. Reduce the heat to medium.

Add the other 1/2 tbsp oil to the pan and then the chopped shallots. Saute for 2 minutes. Stir in chicken broth and rosemary sprig. Simmer for 2 minutes. Stir in mustard and whipping cream and let bubble a little, and cook for 3-5 minutes, until the sauce is thickened. Remove from heat and discard rosemary. Spoon over chicken and roasted sweet potatoes!

Benefits:

Mustard * Improves digestion (by stimulating increased saliva production) and contains the same antioxidants as turmeric (which gives it its yellow color)!

Sweet potato * high in fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, copper, and B6! The antioxidants in sweet potatoes work to eliminate free radicals (which damage the body) and are anti-inflammatory, so they can help alleviate symptoms of many conditions.

Chicken * a great source of lean protein as well as B vitamins.

Ps

I am sorry if my posts have been dull lately! Life consists greatly of studying, classes, working out, studying, and going out when possible. I haven’t felt as blog-creative as in the past and also have been lacking in time. Any input on what y’all would like me to write more about would be helpful

Spicy chipotle pumpkin soup!

Gooood morning. Rather than pick one thing to talk about in this post, I feel like talking about some current events in bullet points…

1. This morning I read a really interesting article from Al Jazeera about how American biotechnology corporations (basically Monsanto) are literally taking over the crop production around the world by enforcing farmers to use their GMO seeds instead of their own genetically diverse seeds. The expensive seed has put farmers in debt and led to over 250,000 suicides in India. Get the deets here! 
2. Presidential elections often sneak up on me and I feel under educated in the stances of the candidates. I spent a bit of time this morning gettin’ down and dirty with Mitt Romney’s plans for America – seeing as he is the current front runner for the Republican party. There is one particular segment in his foreign policy plan that is quite scary. It implies a severe decrease in American rights to privacy under the guise of a “counterterrorism strategy.” It kinda sounds like SOPA and PIPA on crack… squared.  I don’t want to delve too deeply into my opinions, so you can make up your own mind on the foreign policy here. And the job plan here. And the ‘health care’ here. 
3. Yesterday, my three house mates came to the university gym with me and let me teach them how to squat with the squat rack! It was awesome. They all picked it up incredibly quickly and were super badass. The key form points I tried to stress were: STICK YOUR BUTT OUT so you look reminiscent of a duck, feet shoulder width apart and toes forward, push through your heels, and support the bar completely with your upper-back, not your hands or arms. It was nice to not be 1 of 2 girls on the “man side” of the gym!
4. Due to my nasty schedule, I haven’t had as much time to exercise as usual. If I cut anything out, it is cardio. By having two days off of any exercise a few times in the last couple weeks, I have noticed how much more I can lift and do when I do get to the gym. My squat weight has increased by 10 lbs! Definitely becoming more of a fan of rest days.

Onto the recipe! I had some leftover chiles in adobo sauce from that last amazing recipe and I wanted to make some kind of soup with it. I had a can of pumpkin leftover from my pumpkin craze and thought the creaminess of the pumpkin would go nicely with the spicy chiles. The soup ended up being so good that I finished the entire batch in one sitting. I don’t recommend doing that though – I was painfully full for several hours…

Recipe: Serves 1-2

• 1 tbsp butter
• 1/2 sweet onion, diced
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced (add additional pepper cautiously, it gets spicy fast!)
• 1 can pumpkin
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 tbsp half & half
• salt, to taste
• greek yogurt, to garnish (sour cream could be good too)
• fresh cilantro, to garnish

Directions – In a large sauce pan, saute the onions and garlic on the stove top with the butter, until caramelized. Add the spices and minced chile pepper and stir. Scrape the canned pumpkin into the pan and stir. Add the chicken stock and stir until smooth. Let simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the desired consistency has been reached. Add the half and half. Serve with a large dollop greek yogurt and fresh cilantro!

Benefits:

Chile peppers * a source of vitamin A and many potent antioxidants. They have anti-inflammatory properties due to their capsaicin content. Capsaicin also has a metabolism elevating effect.

Pumpkin * An impressive source of vitamins A and C and iron, manganese, and riboflavin! Also is high in fiber and low in fat.

my current culinary obsession

I rarely ever make recipes twice. Even if a meal is quite good, I yearn for variety and newness. I have heard this referred to as a “flavor slut.” Crude, but true. Basically, I’m the girl that walks into the froyo shop and samples all 9 flavors and then loses interest once its time to get a cup. (This does NOT apply to ice cream.) I think that’s why I loved the idea of cake pops and suffered through hours of labor to make Luxirare’s mini-pie pops.

A week ago, I had my friend Hope over for dinner. I had been eyeing a recipe on Eats Well With Other‘s and decided to go for it, despite the fact that I had no idea what chiles in adobo sauce were.  Within 45 minutes, we had a delicious meal of honey-chipotle spiced chicken, butternut squash, and sweet potatoes.

And Hope loved it too! Proof…

Spiced Honey-Chipotle Chicken with Sweet Potatoes

from Eats Well With Others

Recipe: serves 3

• 1 large butternut squash, cubed
• 2 sweet potatoes, cubed
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 5 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, minced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 tsp cider vinegar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 3 chicken breasts
• fresh cilantro, for garnish

Directions – Preheat the oven to 400. Dice the potatoes and squash into cubes. Toss with 1 tbsp olive oil. Spread over baking sheet and bake for 15 mins.

In a small bowl, mix together the honey, vinegar, salt, cumin, cinnamon, garlic, and chiles with some of the adobo sauce until they form a mixture. Rub the mixture all over the chicken breasts. Use any extra to drizzle over the vegetables. Place the chicken breasts over the potatoes and squash and bake for an additional 25 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.

The second time I made this recipe, I was in more of a time crunch. I made the exact same sauce and cooked the chicken in it on the stove top. I heated up half of a roasted acorn squash, drizzled maple syrup over it, and then topped it with the adobo chicken. An amazing combo of sweet and spicy!

Evidence of recipe repeatage:

Benefits:

Chile peppers * a source of vitamin A and many potent antioxidants. They have anti-inflammatory properties due to their capsaicin content. Capsaicin also has a metabolism elevating effect.

Vinegar * helps increase calcium absorption, controls blood sugar levels, and temporarily increases the body’s tendency to burn fat instead of glycogen for energy

Chicken * a lean source of protein and B vitamins!

Butternut squash * a great source of Vitamin C, A, potassium, manganese, and folate. It is also very high in fiber and water content!

P28 High Protein Bagels – A product review!

Good afternoon, everyone!

About two months ago, P28 sent me a huge box of their high protein bagels and bread to try out. At first, I was skeptical about protein infused bread products, seeing as I have tried and failed miserably at any attempts at baking with protein powder. I think the issue may be related to the fact that I use whey protein isolate instead of concentrate, but I’m not sure. If anyone knows why isolate seems to yield nasty, spongy baked goods, let me know! Other bloggers seem to love “protein muffins” and whatnot, so there must be a way..

The facts:

The P28 bagels have 28 grams of protein, 260 calories, and are 100% whole wheat.

One slice of P28 bread has 14 grams of protein, 130 calories, and is also 100% whole wheat!

My thoughts:

I love both of these products. The bagels were my favorite; they have a very normal bagel texture. The only thing that makes them different from your typical bagel is that they are slightly chewier and sweeter. They were perfect for bringing to class or work. My favorite ways to eat them were 1. toasted and smothered in nut butter or cream cheese or 2. toasted and topped with avocado, mayo, tomatoes, sprouts, and onions.

The high protein bread is good too, but I found the bagels to be more fun and useful. Because these products are so high in protein, I didn’t feel the need to add much (if any) meat to them when making sandwiches or meals. What is really cool about both of these products is that they actually save you money in the grand scheme of things. Because I aim for about 30 grams of complete protein per meal, I typically saved  about a dollar each time I used two slices of P28 bread or a bagel as my protein source in a meal. Essentially, I made the same sandwiches I usually do but without the chicken, turkey, eggs, or meat. Because most protein sources run about 5$ a pound, I guestimated that I usually spend about 1.50 or 2$ each time I use meat in a meal (unless its eggs). The bagels are a dollar each, so thats a 50 cent to 1 dollar savings each time!

I definitely plan on ordering more bagels, they became a staple in just a few weeks. Super convenient, quick, and tastayy.

If you are interested in P28, you can visit there website here!

walnut butternut squash soup

I have been craving comforting, savory foods in the morning. This is odd considering I have typically been a fan of syrupy waffles, sweet oatmeal, or sweet yogurt bowls. It may seem strange, but I have been enjoying this creamy, delicate butternut squash soup for breakfast several mornings as of late.

The soup is filling but still light, and provides protein and fiber to keep the belly satisfied. You can also bring it to work or class in tupperware. I recommend the Alladin bowls or Contigo mugs, they keep food hot for up to 3 hours!

Recipe: Makes ~4 large servings

• 1 butter nut squash
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup onions, chopped
• 3 cups 1 percent milk
• 1 1/2 chicken broth
• 1 tsp garlic, minced
• ¼ tsp pepper
• ½ tsp salt little under
• walnuts, to garnish
• optional: few drops black walnut extract

Directions – Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Roast the squash for 45 minutes to an hour, until soft. While the squash is roasting, melt the butter in a large pan on the stove. Add the onions and cook on medium low heat until caramelized. Towards the end, add the garlic and let lightly brown. When the squash is done, scoop out the seeds. Place in a blender (you may need to do this in two steps) with the milk and broth. Blend until smooth. Pour the squash soup into the pan with the onions and garlic. Add the salt and pepper and optional walnut extract if desired. Alternatively, you can also grind up some walnuts and throw them in the soup. Bring to a light boil and reduce the heat. Cook until thickened to your preference. Serve topped with some chopped walnuts. Enjoy! 

benefits

Butternut squash * a great source of Vitamin C, A, potassium, manganese, and folate. It is also very high in fiber and water content!

Walnuts * a fabulous source of 0mega 3 fatty acids. Walnuts have been found to decrease LDL cholesterol, decrease inflammation, improve endothelial cell function, and decrease risk of excessive blood clotting, all of which decrease heart disease risk. They may also help reduce metabolic syndrome symptoms and decrease tummy fat. They are rich in antioxidants and may help protect against some cancers.

Coming up soon I have a product review that I am actually REALLY excited about: P28 protein bagels and bread!

Have a lovely Tuesday, yall. Remember to stay positive.

What happens in Vegas, goes on my blog…

Ive heard tale after tale of “Vegas” in my last 4 years of college, but had never experienced it for myself. It seemed like the most dirty, ridiculous example of American exceptionalism possible. Slots machines in the bathroom? Pimps on every corner? Raging night clubs dripping in sweat and coke? If that is going to exist anywhere, I guess Nevada, USA shouldn’t be that surprising. Everyone that I’d talked to who had gone to Las Vegas loved it, and although I was a bit skeptical, I was still curious. So, when a group of Delta Gamma seniors decided to plan a trip – I jumped right in! I wouldn’t have wanted to miss a quintessential college experience after all…

We decided to go last weekend, in order to really celebrate the greatness of MLK’s contributions to American history. Kidding, but that is when we went. We arrived on Saturday afternoon and got settled into the hotel. There were 6 girls and 2 king beds – cozy! We explored the Strip for a while and I learned that prostitutes have calling cards that get flicked at you every 100 meters on the street. At first I thought they were coupons? We went to a few shops in the Venetian and then headed back to the room to get ready for the night. We went to dinner and then headed to a nice club, Tao!

Being a group of females with a few weak connections to ‘promotors,’ we were led to a table and given free drink wristbands. We proceeded to dance, get stuck in weird bathrooms with transparent doors that only turned opaque once you figured out the complicated lock, meet some other Vegas-ers from USC and Utah, dance more, and then trudged back to the hotel a few hours later.

For reasons unbeknownst to us, we all awoke at 9 am the next morning. I had taken my trusty B vitamins before falling asleep and was feeling pretty fine, just a bit tired. That day we explored more and a few of the girls went to a huge buffet at the Wicked Spoon. Shelby and I didn’t want to wait in line, so we walked down the Strip, went to the Sugar Factory, and got dinner at our hotel. That night, we went to a club opening at the Wynn and were seated at a table with bottle service. It is the weirdest concept. These groups of people pay 1 to 2 THOUSAND dollars for these tables and the clubs shuffle in groups of (mostly) females to accompany them. But they don’t talk to you. Its like you are decorative piece of furniture…

We just sat there for a while and drank some champagne and chatted with one another. Eventually, we left the table to go dance a bit. Later that night, we moved on to another club, XS, but the line was a couple hours long. Feeling dejected, we all sat on a bench in the hotel to try to figure out what to do. Random group of dudes to the rescue! We joined a group and went inside and almost immediately a few of us got split up.

That was probably bad sign #1.

I bumped into this really sweet girl and we started chatting. She introduced me to her boyfriend and he seemed really nice too and we were all just hanging out and watching all the people going nuts on the dance floor. They offered to get me a drink, which I thought seemed odd but nice, and we waited in line for that for a while. Later, we maneuvered over to the dance floor and were just having good time dancing to techno mixes and some top 40 hits. But then, it got a little weird…. The boyfriend seemed to be kind of flirtatious, but right in front of his girlfriend. And then the girlfriend started to seem almost flirty…. And it was just weird.

And then it dawned on me.

SWINGERS!!!!!!!!

I am so naive. I should have figured that out in the first 5 minutes, or at least when they offered to get me a drink, but no, ohhhh no, I just thought I had met some nice Californians. Once I realized what was going on, I pulled the girlfriend aside and said something along the lines of “Y’all are really great, but I dont think I am quite what you are looking for. I am sure you wont have a problem though!”

Her response was “You dont like us?!?!” I proceeded to assure her that they were great and then hightailed my behind outta there.

I wondered around for a couple minutes before finding a few of my friends.We agreed that we were tired and ready to go so we cabbed it back to the hotel, full of stories and blistered feet.

tangy cranberry & honey-walnut salmon

Tonight, I made an uhhmazing dinner in less than 30 minutes! I actually packed up this lovely plate and brought it to my MCAT class. I felt bad for the people sitting around me… it smelled so good! Unless you’re one of those people who doesn’t like the smell of fish. Either way, it was definitely distracting from the atomic structures up on the board. Which was fine with me, because nothing could possibly be more boring than electron configurations and the periodic table.

Cranberry & honeyed walnut salmon with brown rice and a ginger-coconut kale salad

Recipe: Makes 3 servings

For the salmon – inspired by Ohh May
~1 lb salmon
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/2 small orange, peeled
1 tsp fresh grated ginger (or a shake of ginger powder)
1/2 cup sweet white onion, diced
1 tbsp honey
4 tbsp walnuts, chopped

Directions – Combine the orange, cranberries, and ginger in a blender and blend until chunky. Pat the mixture all over the salmon and let marinate, if possible (I didn’t have time). Grease a baking dish with a bit of coconut oil and place the salmon and diced onions in the pan. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven. Turn the stove on medium high and place a non-stick pan on the heat. Once the pan is hot, drizzle the honey over the top of the salmon and sear it for a minute, or until lightly browned. Sear the salmon with the honey-cranberry side down. Remove the salmon from heat and top with chopped walnuts.

For the salad:
4 cups kale
2 cups sugar snap peas
1/2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp grated garlic
1 tsp grated ginger (or dash ginger powder)
3 tbsp shredded sweetened coconut

Directions – Melt the coconut oil into a pan on the stove top. Add the ginger and garlic. Add the snap peas, kale, and shredded coconut and stir fry until wilted and bright. Remove from heat.

For the rice:
1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
1 tsp coconut oil
1 tbsp soy sauce

Directions – Mix the rice with the coconut oil and nuke until hot. Stir in the soy sauce.

Benefits:

Salmon * is high in Vitamin D and omega 3 fatty acids which raise HDL (good) cholesterol levels and lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. Also makes hair grow faster (from personal experience!) and your skin smoother.

Cranberries * contain the antioxidants phenolic acids, anthocyanins, flavonoids, triterpenoids, and proanthocyanadins (PACs) which can work synergistically together in the body. The PACs are what enables cranberries to help protect against urinary tract infections

Ginger * contains gingerol which relaxes blood vessels and thus improves circulation. It also aids in digestion and can soothe the stomach. Contains TONS of compounds that fight cancer!

Coconut * coconut gets a bad rap because of its saturated fat content, but its fatty acids are mainly medium-chain triglycerides, not long-chain. The long-chain triglycerides are bad for our cholesterol levels, but coconut has been shown to improve cholesterol levels. Animal studies suggest that medium-chain triglycerides can increase metabolism. It is great to cook with because it is stable at high temperatures!

Brown rice * more fiber and nutrients than white rice.

Kale * Extremely high levels of vitamins K, A, and C! Also has manganese, calcium, fiber, and antioxidants.

Onions * contain anti-aging antioxidants phenolics and flavonoids. A study by Dr. Liu showed that pungent and Western yellow onions protected the most against colon cancer, while pungent yellow, Western yellow, and shallots protected the most against liver cancer.

How anal perfectionists avoid self-destruction:

Ahem, this is week 2 of me sticking to my New Years resolution. Pat on the back right there!

So, I definitely had a meltdown earlier this week. There was self-doubt, worry, anxiety, fear, and salty tears everywhere. Just thinking about everything I needed to cram into my schedule was making me ill, and it was the first day of the quarter! The way I got over it was to first list all the things I needed to make time for in the week:

• 4 classes at UCD (really just 3 though)
• 4  2.5 hour MCAT classes per week
• ~3 hours of MCAT studying per day
• ~3 study allotments for UCD classes per week
• an hour to lift weights 3x per week and an hour to exercise in some other way another 2 or 3x per week
• time to SOCIALIZE or have ME time  e v e r y  s i n g l e  d a y

Next, I drew out the plan. This is mostly accurate, with a few exceptions. And its color coded! Green = class, orange = workout, pink = study, purple = MCAT class.

To get this schedule the way it is, I had to make some sacrifices. Unfortunately, they are very self-serving sacrifices, but, frankly, I don’t care. I will remain sane. I quit my food sampling job to free up 4-8  hours each weekend, and I have at least postponed my internship at the fertility center until I get the hang of everything. I figure I have acquired almost everything I can from it and I can still put it on my application!

Step 3: ACTUALLY FOLLOW THE PLAN. Or at least complete the necessary daily tasks.

I really am sorry to bore you all with that, but maybe it can help some of you find sanity within a crazy schedule. Also, putting it on here holds me more accountable

Now, for the recipe.

See that quiche crust? Looks like brownie, don’t it? But its not! There are no grains, gluten, or nuts (for you, Mark!) in this recipe. The quiche is high protein, high fiber, and filled with veggies! The sweet corn and red bell peppers go well with the cheddar topping and black bean base.

Southwestern Quiche with a grainless, black bean crust

Recipe: Makes 4 large, filling servings

For the crust

• 1 cup black beans, extremely well drained
• 1 egg
• 3 tbsp ground flax

For the filling

• 3 eggs
• 5 egg whites
• 1/2 cup greek yogurt
• 1/2 bell pepper, diced
• 1/3 cup onion, diced
• 1/4 cup salsa
• 1/2 cup corn
• “Baja seasoning” or a combo of garlic powder, cayenne pepper, paprika, cumin, salt, pepper, dash onion powder, dash oregano

Topped with 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese or a ‘Mexican blend’

Directions -

First, preheat the oven to 400. Drain the black beans extremely well, press firmly to the point of squishing them a little bit in the can. Combine the beans, egg, and flax in a bowl and mix until homogenous. Grease a quiche dish or baking pan and spread the batter evenly over the bottom. Bake for 10 minutes, until cooked but not yet browned. While the crust is cooking, saute the onions and bell pepper on the stove top with a dash of butter or oil until soft and the onions are lightly browned.

Next, combine all the eggs and yogurt in a bowl and mix well. Fold in the bell pepper, onion, salsa, corn, and spices.

Pour on top of the crust. Reduce the oven heat to 375. Sprinkle the cheese over the top of the quiche. Bake for 35 minutes or until cooked all the way through.

SO EASY.

Benefits:

Onion * Contains quercitin, an antioxidant that halts the growth of tumors! Also, studies have linked regular onion consumption with lower cholesterol and reduced risk of colon cancer. A prime source of chromium.

Eggs * the yolk is where all the nutrients are! It contains tryptophan, selenium, iodine, B vitamins, and phosphorous, many of which are necessary for optimal metabolism. The egg white has 6 grams of complete protein!

Black beans * High in folate, fiber and protein. They also have antioxidants called flavonoids and small amounts of omega 3′s.

Flax * A great source of fiber and omega 3′s!