I apologize for my absence the past week! I took a much needed vacation to Savannah, GA to visit my sister and then on to Delray Beach, FL to see my Uncle. I pledged myself no facebook, blogging or cell phone...(yea right)
I must say, when I got back majority of my pictures were of the food I had scarfed down and I was a little amused. I can tell you I am pretty passionate about food! I am not sure what the people around me where thinking when I was taking numerous pictures of each plate that hit the table...weirdo??
But I wanted to show you some AMAZING things from Savannah!
First things first, the most amazing sandwich I have had to DATE! A Panini sandwich first layered with some delicious red pepper sauce, eggplant, cucumbers, onions and mushrooms. Then topped with some more creamy pesto goodness!
I will make this in the near future, stay tuned!
I enjoyed this tomato basil soup the first day I got to Savannah and it was so delicious and comforting!
Veggie burger with fresh tomatoes, avocados, cheese and some fresh french fries! This place was great because it was family owned and they made everything by hand including there ketchup!
Umm if you do not eat fried green tomatoes in the south you are a foreigner. I must say pure goodness! I mean it's deep fried!?!
Bruschetta! I am a LOVER of this stuff! Goat cheese, the best tomatoes I have ever had and then topped with an amazing mini salad (as if there wasn't enough already)
So I apologized to my body BEFORE I ate this, but man was it a dream! Ice cream crepes rolled and smothered with fresh strawberries, mango, kiwi, and then some pecans covered in a creamy glaze. I WILL NOT be replicating this one, sorry guys!
No not the TV show, but I thought it was pretty cool how they did this!
SO save the best for last right?! This massive veggie burger (that I only ate 1/2) was the winner hands down. At 22 bucks a pop I had no complaints! Made fresh with quinoa and your other veggie burger ingredients I must say I cannot wait to make this soon! MMMMmmmMMM!!!
Yes I did eat the whole time. Yes I was completely satisfied and sometimes a little bit too much... But when I got home I was more than ready to get back on track!
What better way to do that with my fresh veggies and herbs waiting for me at home, and of course my best friend QUINOA!
I want to go into detail about the amazing benefits of Quinoa because few really know much about this grain. Quinoa is sometimes called the super grain, and it really deserves that name because it really is an impressive healing food. The unique shape of this grain is also fascinating. The grain has an outer edge that looks something like a UFO. It's almost like the grain is wearing a hula-hoop. The outer edge can come of when the grain is boiled, which is actually the germ of the quinoa.
In most grains, the germ is usually a very tiny structure found on the end of the grain. But in the case of quinoa, the germ circles the entire grain. It is important to note that the germ in any grain is very high in protein and this explains why quinoa as a whole is very high in protein compared to other grains.
Quinoa is not only high in protein, it is also very high in amino acids that create a complete protein. The eight essential amino acids you'll find in quinoa are the ones your body must acquire through foods in order to live. Quino is very high in lysine and is a good reason vegetarians gravitate towards this grain.
Quinoa is very high in calcium. The conventional wisdom of today is that you get your calcium from drinking milk when in fact, a cup of cooked quinoa has more calcium than a cup of milk!
Quinoa is also a good source for magnesium, zinc, potassium, and iron. Beyond the minerals, it has a fairly high B-vitamin content and is a healthy serving of fiber, found in the germ itself.
VERY LOW CALORIC DENSITY GRAIN SUPPRESSES APPETITE
I have people ask me all the time, how can I lose weight and be full? QUINOA! The amount of water quinoa absorbs while cooking is rather remarkable. It's no secret that a lot of people overeat, but one reason they do that is because the foods they eat take up very little space in their stomach, but are very high in calories (cheese, pizza, french fries, candy bars, snacks). This is where we get in trouble because our hunger signals are not really fine-tuned to what we've eaten. Our hunger is, in part, affected by the physical space foods take up in our stomachs.
Because of this quinoa can be very beneficial in suppressing your appetite and, therefore, helping you lose body fat. You can eat a very large bowl of quinoa and feel like you completely stuffed, yet you may have only eaten 300-400 calories. Also good for a long day when you know you will not have anytime to cook!
So there you have it, quinoa the super grain!
Need a recipe? Try these out!
QUINOA WITH STEAM VEGGIES
My new invention! I do not have a steamer so I made it work!
Fresh steamed veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, red bell peppers) over quinoa. I also made some yummy avocado sauce in my food processor with some red bell peppers. Process until smooth.
ROASTED YAMS AND HERBS
For this dish I used left over quinoa from the night before. I decided to roast it with some yams, onions, cilantro, olive oil, oregano and pepper.
I also made a side salad with spinach, tomatoes and cashews covered in some poppy seed dressing.
Try it out! Quinoa can be great with a little imagination!
