FoodFoodFood

    Food, lots of food, has been on my mind much of the time lately. Partially due to the fact that my digestive tract has turned traitorous this last year or so. But mostly because I know how important fueling is. Not to mention the fact that I am hungry all the time. Seriously. All the time. The only exception to this is the 15 or 20 minutes immediately following a meal. Yes, I am eating small, frequent meals consisting of protein, carbs, and fresh fruit or veg in the proper ratios. I am eating more carbs than ever before, I think, but I am burning them with the steady flame of intense workouts. I love the way Body is burning fuel, I am eating mass quantities, but my weight has stabilized at a nice, trim 160ish pounds.
    I think of food first thing in the morning, and am studying nutrition the last thing at night. During the day I am planning my evening meal, or a shopping trip to top off my overflowing fruit basket. I am experimenting with recipes from quick, raw smoothies, to wonderful vegan whole grain dishes chock full of nuts, seeds, legumes, greens, and savory spice blends. I am eating very little animal protein; a few eggs, almost no meat, and no dairy except for an occasional sprinkling of cheese.
    One of my current favorites is a whole grain blend I have found consisting of a variety of rices; brown, red, black, and wild. I mix 2 parts of the rice blend, 1 part quinoa, 6 parts water, copious amounts of fresh, minced garlic, curry powder, and hoisin sauce. Once it is cooked, I top it with roasted, unsalted cashews and sunflower seeds. I have a pint jar of it in my lunch bag as I write, and it is whispering my name. I have used this cooked grain mix in a number of different dishes, as well as eating it as is.
    Another favorite is fresh guacamole, chopped spinach, some legumes, maybe some of the cooked grains, a handful or so of the toasted cashews and sunflower seeds, wrapped up in a toasted corn tortilla. It is beyond delicious.
    A variation on this is the delightful, and soul satisfying Pupusa. Kind of a homemade hot pocket with the outer layer made of masa flour, a bit of gf flour, warm water, a dash of salt and oil (basically, home made tortilla dough). Roll out 2 thin rounds of dough, top one side with about an inch of yummy stuff (beans, grains, seeds, cheese), leaving a half inch border free and clear of filling. Moisten the outer edge, top with the second round of dough, press down gently to compress the filling, and seal the edges by pressing them together and rolling them up a bit. Lift with a wide spatula and carefully transfer to a hot, ungreased skillet on about medium heat. Cook both sides until lightly toasted. Top with guacamole, or salsa, or the traditional spiced, vinagered, chopped cabbage. I like mine topped with chopped spinach mixed into some fresh guac. This will fill me up for a while, and is a favorite when I have been feeling particularly famished.
     I love to cook and experiment with new foods and will do a dozen variations on a theme. This has been very evident in my winter of baking gluten free quick breads chock full of cooked pumpkin, acorn squash, applesauce, cooked or grated raw yams, pepitas, roasted cashews, walnuts, sunflower seeds, pecans, oatmeal, cornmeal, banana, dried cherries, raisens, dried blueberries, dried apple, granola, flax seed, hemp seed, agave syrup, ground raw cashews, and, and, and... whatever happens to be in the cupboard and fridge at the time I am stirring up the batch for the week. Topped with peanut butter, this has been a staple in my diet since the first of the year. It is wonderful toasted on a light oiled skillet and served with a cup of herbal tea.
   I really do think of food most of the time. I am constantly trying to better my eating habits, refine my recipes. Now, all that being said, it is time for lunch. I have some delicious, savory grains and quinoa with cashews and sunflower seeds, and a giant tangelo whispering my name.