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Mushroom Spaghetti

I am pretty low maintenance when it comes to cooking! So, this recipe I am about to give you may seem a tad bit mundane. But you know what? It's delicious and nutritious and that is the best combination in my book.

You'll need:

Pasta:

-1 box of Spelt Spaghetti (or whatever you have. use can even use brown rice pasta, if you're going gluten free!)

to cook the pasta follow the written manufacturers directions.

sauteed mushrooms:

-1 cup sliced crimini mushrooms aka baby bellas

-1 small vidalia onion (chopped)

-2 garlic cloves (minced)

-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

-1 tsp salt

-2 tsp fennel seeds

-2 tsp dried oregano

-1 tsp dried basil (I used a handful of fresh basil from my plant)

-1 tbsp agave nectar (or cane sugar)

-28 oz can of crushed tomatoes (Use diced canned tomatoes for a chunkier sauce!)

While the pasta water boils... mix mushrooms, chopped onion, and garlic in a medium sized bowl. Stir and pour in balsamic, salt, oregano, and sweetener. Mix well. In medium sized pot (using medium heat) add in 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and cook mushroom mixture for 2 minutes. Cover pot. Reduce heat. Cook until vegetables are tender. Add in the tomato sauce and higher heat. Add more salt to taste. Cover and lower heat until the noodles are ready. Drain pasta when they're al dente. Serve with marinara sauce and enjoy! :)

**Feel free to add whatever italian herbs you have and you don't even have to use mushrooms. You can use eggplant or squash too!**

Serves approximately 4-5 people!

Yummy

Summer's here! Which somehow makes me lazier to cook and actually avoid preparing time consuming meals altogether. (And unless your air conditioning is on full-blast, who wants to use an oven/stove in sweltering heat? Not me!) So, here are some links to my favorite summery meals that are easy to prepare and are equally delicious as nutritious.

light meals:

• Black bean salad- A yummy salad and colorful salad that is packed healthy fats and high in protein. Perfect for bringing as a side dish to a summer BBQ or just eat for lunch with a side of blue tortilla chips.
• Southwestern Couscous salad- Similar to the black bean salad, only, this one contains couscous which gives it a Mediterranean flair. High in protein and a great choice for eating something light. (I notice I gravitate to lighter meals when the weather is warmer.)
• Quinoa salad- This salad is extremely satisfying. I recommend it because it's not only protein infused, it's also delicious. It tastes great on it's own and if you're not familiar with quinoa then you might want to try it with this salad. (I used red kidney and white beans when I prepared mine.)
• Sunny Spicy Wrap- This raw vegetable wrap is really good. The recipe gives you two different ways on preparing this wrap, though I have not tried the grilled variation, I am sure it's just as delicious. You can substitute the hummus for bean dip or even guacamole. Yum!
• Salmon With Strawberry Salsa- I actually had this salad for lunch yesterday with the leftover salmon from Sunday night's dinner. The salsa is out of this world and super easy to make. Make sure you use ripe juicy strawberries and be careful with the jalapenos. (I didn't measure my ingredients and added way too much jalapenos. My mouth was on fire and I nearly chocked. Not cool! )
• Shrimp Tacos with Fresh Pineapple- I just recently incorporated seafood into my diet. I don't know why but I crave tacos more and more as the weather heats up. These tacos are especially tasty because they contain pineapple. If you love sweet and tangy flavors then this recipe is for you.
  
• Otsu (Soba Noodle Salad) - A really really really yummy chilled Japanese-inspired salad. Even my dad who is pretty picky with healthy food liked this, in fact he loved it! You can make it with wholewheat pasta but... If you've never tried soba noodles I definitely recommend them. They're in the pasta family and made from buckwheat flour making them packed with nutrients and exotic flavor.
  

These are just a few different recipes to incorporate a variety of nutrients into your tummy. I hope you enjoy :) I know I did! Next time I will share my favorite desserts.
-J.adriana

My question to people who don't eat breakfast:
How could you miss out on such a wonderful dining experience? I love both preparing and eating breakfast foods and find that eating breakfast improves how I feel throughout the day. Not eating breakfast not only slows down your metabolism it actually leads to over eating at night. (ie: loading up on carbs while vegging out!)

Though today my breakfast was pretty wimpy for the workout that was to come....
Kashi's Golden Goodness cereal mixed with granola, shredded coconut, frozen blueberries, and almond milk. This breakfast would be suitable any other day but before a cardio/total body workout... not so much! Another excuse for not kicking behind today would be this humid weather! I felt like I was dying while lifting five pound weights, what's going on man? Oh well it's not the end of the world and there's always Thursday. ;)

Speaking of working out... My workout schedule has been a little unorganized these past few weeks. I suppose it's a sign that I need to revamp my schedule.

My usual weekly routine:
Monday: I like to ease into my weekly routine by doing a half an hour of weights. (I usually follow a workout on exercise TV)
Tuesday: I go to a yoga class at the YMCA with Aria. It's vinyasa class that focuses on strengthening and toning.
Wednesday: I take the day off or I do an hour of light yoga. Nothing too intense, just simply to stretch rejuvenate my muscles.
Thrusday: Another opportunity to do weights!
Friday: Zumba @ the gym with Aria!
Saturday: If I get the chance, I like to do a quickie yoga practice.
Sunday: REST.

That was ongoing for about two months but now it's time to change things up. Change is good, right? I am going to keep Monday for weights, Tuesday & Friday @ the gym. I'll definitely take up more outdoor activities since summer is practically here! ( Swimming! Learn how to surfing? Hiking! and my personal favorite: trips to the city with lots of walking and window shopping :D )

I'll be back, I gotta run a few errands.

-j.adriana

Next month

I vow and promise to blog more. I'll post more recipes, restaurant critiques, exercise, and health posts.

There's really no excuse for me to be this uninspired. Quite honestly I've been falling into a cycle of laziness! I have plenty of recipes and food photography I'd like to share with everyone and will post them very shortly.

Have a wonderful Memorial day!

Another day, another blog...

I made a new blog and I want this one to focus on good health, fun exercises, my favorite recipes, and daily thoughts. My perception of balance is slowly improving and I am evolving into a healthier girl every day. So please, let me share

with you what I’ve learned about nutrition from my own experience.

I find myself tired when I’m eating too much...

refined sugars, foods with artificial coloring/flavorings, greasy food, not enough protein/too many simple carbohydrates and white flour. The fuel and satisfaction holds a short life which makes me sleepier and hungrier later. I was really tired while I was in the hospital and when I came home from the hospital. Partially from blood loss, partially from malnourishment! Now that I am getting better I am responsible for helping myself to good nutrition, and hopefully you’ll do the same! (I am not naming names… You know who you are!)

I feel healthiest when I am:

drinking enough water and eating plenty of fresh fruits. Consuming minimum sugar (I prefer natural sugars like maple syrup in my oatmeal, natural fruit juices, and maybe agave in tea.) Whole grain breads, cereal, pasta, and rice provide me with more energy.

The proteins I consume are usually:

wild salmon, occasionally shrimp, canned tuna fish, tofu, tempeh, legumes, eggs, dairy-free milks, and cheeses. (provolone, mozzarella, and swiss.) I am trying to really stray away from packaged faux meats, I just don’t see the need for them. (Some contain a lot of sodium and unnecessary ingredients.) Although, I find: Gardein, Amy’s burgers, and Field Roast exceptionally yummy.

Fats:

Nut butters, nuts in general, seeds, tahini (fresh hummus anyone?), olive oil, coconut (oil, butter, milk, and ice cream!), avocados, and earth balance butters. I think the only time I eat canola oil when is I’m eating out or if my mom made fried plantains, and sometimes in my baking.

Sweets:

Freshly baked vegan goodies are always appreciated. Though, I occasionally eat Swedish fish and never say no to an ice cream cone because… baby, I deserve it! Part of being balanced is allowing yourself to enjoy what you like once in while without eating the entire carton of ice cream! You really learn to appreciate and savor the sweet more. It’s weird because sometimes I can’t even finish an Oreos and other packaged cookies because they leave a weird aftertaste in my mouth. It’s like my taste buds have been trained!

Fruits and Vegetables:

My favorite vegetable is easily the asparagus. Canned, steamed, and roasted. You name it, mmm! My goal is to experiment with more rooted vegetables like: parsnips, jicama, and assorted squashes. Next would be vegetables from the cabbage family! As for fruits, traditionally I eat a banana once a day; I love berries, and tropical fruits. Avocados, tomatoes, kiwis, and anything else pitted. The only fruit I’m not crazy about is the GRAPEFUIT! I haven’t developed an appetite for it and it is a little biter. Without another word I will end this post by saying, cheers to anyone else who wants to achieve balance, be healthy, and really enjoy the beautiful things in life.

-j.adriana