What I Really Eat

As much as I'd like to, I don't eat cupcakes for every meal. 

A girl can't survive off pie, cake pops and lattes for long. My sugar rush always seems to come to a crashing halt sooner than I expect, which can make these long, busy winter days pretty hard to get through.

Most weekdays I'm lucky if I have time to throw dinner together at all. Too many times I’ve ended up starving at 7PM, searching my cupboards for something (Anything?!) that can be made into a healthy meal in 5 minutes or less. 

This is never very successful.

I have been known to down an entire bag of tortilla chips with salsa, a spoonful of peanut butter and a handful of chocolate chips. Then call it "dinner". So nutritious!

 

For this reason, my favourite favourite favourite thing to do is to take a couple of hours on Sunday afternoon and prep a big pot of soup and a hearty grain or noodle salad to last us the week.  If I have the time I like to throw together some muffins or bars for a healthy snack, too.

Being prepared makes me SO HAPPY. Seriously. It might be unnatural the amount of joy I get from having a fully stocked fridge. It chases my worries away. The world could crumble to bits and at least we would have delicious food.

Quinoa Salad with Roasted Yams and Chickpeas

I enjoyed this salad a number of ways... Most common was on the go, straight out of a tupperware container in my backpack. But it was also delicious warmed slightly, with a poached egg or two nestled on top (let the yolky part run into the salad, so good), or with warm roasted beets and extra feta. Mmm. Easy, healthy, and seriously yummy.

Ingredients

Dressing:

2 Tablespoons white wine Vinegar

1 Tablespoon dijon mustard

1 Tablespoon honey

2 cloves garlic, pressed or very finely chopped

½ Teaspoon each salt and pepper

½ Cup olive oil

1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl, slowly add olive oil while mixing vigorously to form an emulsion. Or combine all ingredients and use an immersion blender to mix well. 

Salad:

½ Cup quinoa

About 2 cups yams, peeled and cubed (for me this was 3 small yams, 2 larger ones would do)

2 Tablespoons olive oil

½ Teaspoon each, sea salt and pepper

2 Cans chickpeas (14oz), drained and rinsed

1 Carrot, peeled and grated

1 ½ Cups spinach leaves, cleaned well and coarsely chopped

½ Cup parsley, chopped

½ Cup feta cheese, crumbled

½ Cup sunflower seeds, toasted

1. Cook quinoa according to package instructions, fluff with a fork and set aside to cool.

2. Preheat oven to 350 F. Toss yams in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread on a large baking sheet and roast until tender, about 20 minutes, turning once. Allow to cool.

3. Combine chickpeas, vegetables, sunflower seeds and feta with the quinoa and yams in a large bowl. Toss with dressing.

Enjoy at room temperature or warmed slightly. Follow with a handful of chocolate chips for good measure ;)

Recipe adapted from the Whitewater Cooks Cookbook.

I'm off to beautiful San Francisco later this week. I've never been and will have lots of time to explore. If you have a favourite restaurant or foodie place (or just a place) to visit please share in the comments!! I'll be sure to share the highlights of my trip on the blog. Hoping that it stays sunny for us :) So excited! Have a lovely week friends!

 

XO, 

Maia

Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chili

It felt like real fall this weekend. The kind of fall I had growing up in a small town in the interior. It was slightly chilly and windy, but now and then rays of sun broke through the gray skies. Leaves crunched under your feet. There were cookies and cups of tea with friends. Sweaters I’d packed away in the spring came out of their hiding places. 

 

But sure enough, Monday morning I woke up in the dark, rain hammering the windows.  I wanted nothing more than to burrow deeper under the covers, and to stay that way all day. But alas, I am a grown up. I have responsibilities (ugh). Chin up. Buck up. Don’t forget your umbrella. 

Knowing you are coming home to this dinner makes a cold, wet commute a bit more bearable. It is hearty enough for a cozy Sunday dinner, but using canned beans makes it a cinch to throw together on a busy weeknight as well. 

 And with the chipotle and cayenne peppers, it packs quite a punch in the spice department. If you feel the sniffles coming on, this might just do the trick. Sweet potatoes and beans are quickly becoming a favorite combination of mine. I hope you like them too.

Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chili

 

As always I am a chicken when it comes to spiciness, this was enough to warm me up and clear my sinuses too. If you like more heat, add another chipotle pepper or up the cayenne to ¼ tsp. 

Ingredients

Olive oil

1 Medium onion, diced

3 Cloves garlic

2 Carrots, diced into rounds

1 Red bell pepper, diced

2 Chipotle peppers in Adobo, chopped to smithereens or crushed with a spoon

2 Tsp.  ground cumin

1 Tsp. chili powder

1 Tsp. paprika

Pinch cayenne pepper

Salt and pepper to taste

2 Medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

1-2 Cups chicken or vegetable stock

1 can (800 ml) whole tomatoes and their juice

2 Cobs fresh corn, removed from cob or 1 cup frozen corn (I used a combination)

2 cans (540 ml) black beans

2 Tbsp. liquid honey

Toppings (optional)

Avocado

Cilantro, roughly chopped

Lime Wedges

Sour Cream

Shredded Cheese

1. Place a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, drizzled with olive oil (go around the pan twice). When pan is hot add the onions and garlic and saute.

2. When the onions begin to turn translucent, reduce the heat to medium. Add the carrots, peppers, chipotle peppers and spices. Season with salt and pepper. Allow the mixture to cook for a couple of minutes; it should begin to smell quite aromatic. Then add the sweet potatoes and let everything cook for a few minutes more. 

3. Add the tomatoes, corn and 1 cup of stock to the pot. Crush the tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon or spatula as you stir.

4. Bring the stew to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Allow to simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked through and the broth has reduced.

5. When the sweet potatoes are cooked through, add the black beans. Be sure to drain them in a colander and rinse with a bit of cool water before dumping them into the pot.

6. Taste the broth and adjust the seasoning if needed. Drizzle in 1-2 tablespoons of honey, just to counter act the spice and add some sweetness.  At this point I added ½ cup more broth. You can add more broth if you like or leave it as is. It depends entirely on how soupy you like your chili.

7. Once the beans have heated through you can serve up your chili. Top individual bowls with whichever toppings you prefer and enjoy. I think Cilantro, lime, and sour cream are a must, while The Boy loves avocado and melted cheese.  

This recipe made 2 big dinners for two of us, with leftovers for lunches. In fact, I’ve put a couple of containers in the freezer for quick workday lunches down the road. 

Future Maia loves when past Maia looks out for her like that.