A sweet, savory, buttery, green and healthy food blog by Sanura Weathers
Delicious recipes using whole-grains, such as rice, farro, wheat, couscous and quinoa–to increase the nutritional value of a healthy meal.
Learned about a last minute invitation to a potluck on the same day as the event. Luckily, it was in the morning, but the week’s menu was already planned. Our dinner became a gift to the host. When we arrived, it was discovered it was a vegetarian affair. Needless to say, this dish had all the sinful pleasures: cream, chicken and cheese. The roasted asparagus and the fresh herbs were the only honest ingredients. It was also the first empty bowl amid the other righteous dishes.
The day was scheduled for a visit to The Metropolitan Museum of Art, walk around Central Park, stop by a grocery store and cook a quick meal. It was a good plan for a mild, sunny day. As one would figure out, weekend plans are rarely carried out when different variables come into play.
The trip to the museum turned out to be a headache, because the trains were problematic. Upon our arrival at the museum, our nerves were quickly soothed upon entering the ancient Egyptian exhibit. People in that time period, spanning thousands of years ago, had a beautiful style seen in their clothes, architecture and art. The bolts of linen, miniature sculptures, jewelry and thong sandals are still styles in our culture today. Even their cooking utensils were elegantly carved. We were so intrigued with the exhibit; Central Park was seen from a window.
As the sun was setting, the temperatures were declining to remind us that it was still early spring. We were too tired to stop at a grocery store en route home. Saving the grocery list for another day, we ate out instead. The day’s schedule didn’t work out well, but it was nice to share a bottle Pinot Noir while talking about the ancient Egyptian exhibit.
The next day, another plan was set into action after leaving work. A quick stop to the grocery store and making a simple meal by the early evening was a goal. Again, more subway problems occurred, for the train was stalled in a station for 15 to 20 minutes. The grocery store lines snaked around the aisles. Dinner started when day turned into night. Luckily, this meal was fast to prepare. Including the prepping time, it was served in 30 to 45 minutes. It was the planning that took forever.
Often couscous is served as a savory dish. Rarely, is it eaten for breakfast. This sweet dish was created a few years ago. It’s a lighter alternative to the heavy-weight oatmeal cereal. Store it in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator, and savor it one bowl per morning. Fight the usual 3 p.m. weekday sweet snack attack with this treat, too. Change the amount of nuts and dried fruit to accommodate a preference for flavors. Serve with Greek yogurt and drizzle honey to your sweet taste.
Sidenote: A friend on my facebook page suggested serving it with coconut milk. Sounds delicious to me! Thanks, Lauren!
By the way, I love Oui, Chef‘s Chewy Fruit and Nut Bars recipe. Read more
Promptly exiting the office at 5 p.m., I had to make a choice between two important tasks causing scheduling conflicts: going grocery shopping or working out. The local gym, free to the neighborhood, is open for two hours on three weekdays. Although, I’ve recently discovered running in cold weather is a refreshing activity, the gym is still needed on snowy days when the streets are icy. That free gym saves the budget from a yearly membership expense, because it is not needed in the summer. The recent snowstorm had enough power to close the gym, in which a few days of running were missed. It also delayed grocery shopping, and the fridge is looking bare. The eggs and the flour are gone, the pale bottoms of the drawers in the fridge are visible, and eating out is beginning to take a toll on the budget. Read more
In an effort to control our weight, we’re trying to eat dinner earlier in the day. After a couple hours of freelance work, I started grocery shopping at 4:30 p.m. to purchase a few vegetables and wine. Prepping dinner started close to 6:00 p.m. The evening’s schedule was to fix dinner, go to the gym for 30 minutes, return home to take a shower, reheat dinner and end the day with a glass of red wine. In reality, an Argentinian bottle of red wine was opened at 7:00 p.m., the coat was hung for the night and we sat down to a bowl of garlicky, roasted vegetable sauce over penne pasta. Lesson learned for the day: go grocery shopping earlier. This is a sauce that tastes better the next day when the flavors marinate over night.
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