A sweet, savory, buttery, green and healthy food blog by Sanura Weathers
At the last minute, I decided to enter North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission Inc.’s “No More ‘Mallows! Blogger Recipe Contest,” which ends today–March 31, 2012. Sweet potatoes are one of my favorite comfort food ingredients. My first taste was Aunt Anne’s candied dish to adore. As a Brownie in the Girl Scouts, someone brought a pureed sweet potato dish topped with marshmallows to a potluck event. That’s when my true love for sweet potatoes was realized. The marshmallows won me over. Read more
There’s this sudden fascination with grains lately. Such curiosity started last year when amaranth greens were included in a weekly farm share. A quick online search yielded information about amaranth grains. It’s commonly found in the bulk section of organic or natural food stores. Since then, I’ve discovered other types of grains.
Thanks to globalization, plenty of grains have been introduced to our market recently, such as amaranth, barley, quinoa, kamut, kasha, rye berries, and so forth. A few weeks ago, Melissa Danielle, a foodie friend, requested a recipe using wheatberries. Quite honestly, the name of the grain is easily recognized, but its visual appearance is daunting. Situations like this casually remind us how disconnected we are from food and it’s actual source. It’s commonly flattened into flakes for breakfast cereals or granola, similar to corn and oat flakes. It’s also baked in bread for additional flavor and nutrients, hence the name “Whole-Grain Bread”. Read more
In yoga, we’re supposed to let our combative thoughts leave the sanctuary. However, as I’m standing in the tadasana pose, thoughts of food bring comfort as well. Such thoughts are relaxing, right? During the last class, I planned a dinner of buttery, roast potatoes with a dollop of thick yogurt served with Harissa spiced Brazilian Collard Greens mixed with chickpeas. When a particular dish is craved, it’s my body recommending an ingredient that has a certain vitamin or nutrient it needs immediately. During that dripping wet bikram class, my body was begging for good fats and carbohydrates (carbs). After all, I was waking up quite early to run a few miles the next day. I love when my body needs plenty of carbs. The media and crazy diet plans have made people unnecessarily scared of carbs, but I embrace them wholeheartedly. Eating excessive carbs are one of the joys about maintaining a regular cardio workout, because they’re an essential energy boost. Read more
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.