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Appetites and Adventures

Strange But Good: Thai Peanut Kabocha & Cauliflower

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I am a kabocha nut.

Not a bad thing – it’s good – but time to branch out.

Admittedly, I got in a rut with it.  I have been preparing it the same way for weeks.  Tossed in this Mexican chocolate spice blend and roasted before being doused with a sweet peanut sauce, it has been my favorite “dessert.”

Possibly strange to “normal” people.  Definitely good.  But no longer unique.  When Heather chose it was the “K” ingredient for the MMAZ link up, I knew I needed to step up my game.

Thai Peanut Kabocha and Cauliflower 004

Today I bring you a strange non-dessert kabocha creation.  Not to worry – it’s still good.

Peanut flour again makes an appearance (I guess I didn’t branch that far out…) but this time it’s as a savory Asian-inspired dish.  If you don’t have peanut flour, you can certainly use peanut butter!

Thai Peanut Kabocha and Cauliflower 003

Sriracha is my favorite way to add heat, and you could use it here.  I avoid the sodium this close to a competition, so I added my own sriracha-esque ingredients to the peanut flour.  Red pepper flakes and rice vinegar, plus garlic and a dash of cinnamon.  Trust me on the cinnamon.

After a quick toss, I roasted my pea-nutty kabocha until it was nearly burnt nicely crisped.   If you want to make it more strange, add in some cauliflower.  It’s another dessert of the vegetable world – it tastes good in pancakes or spiced up.

MMAZ

Don’t forget to head over to Heather’s blog on Monday for everyone else’s kabocha creations!

Thai Peanut Kabocha and Cauliflower

Thai Peanut Kabocha & Cauliflower

  • 2 T peanut flour* (or peanut butter)
  • 2 T unsweetened almond milk (or other liquid)
  • 1 T rice vinegar
  • 2-3 cloves of garlic, pressed
  • Red pepper flakes, to taste
  • Pinch of cinnamon
  • 1 C kabocha squash, cubed
  • 1 C cauliflower florets 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with foil.

In a small bowl, mix together first 5 ingredients.

Place cubed kabocha and cauliflower on baking sheet.  Pour peanut mixture over the veggies and toss to coat.

Place in oven and bake for 20-30 min, stirring once half way through.

Makes 2 servings.

*I order my peanut flour from iHerb. Use discount code USO924 for $5-10 off your order!

 

How have you enjoyed making co-workers, friends, or family stare with strange but good creations this week? The link up rules can be found here or by clicking on “Strange But Good” in the menu bar above. In short, I want to see what concoctions have earned you weird looks from co-workers, family and friends! Post your Strange But Good creations, grab the logo below for your blog, and link up here.

Sprint 2 the Table

Remember to use #strangebutgood in any Tweets and Instagrams of your creations. 🙂

***

This week has been insanely busy with work and travel.  I’m so sorry I’m behind on replying to comments and emails.  I promise to catch up this weekend!

What’s your favorite squash?  Have you tried kabocha yet?

Do you ever eat your veggies sweet?

Samsung Galaxy Camera + WIAW

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Once in a blue moon I surprise myself…

 

Get it?  Last night was a blue moon…

I’ve always lamented having to take pictures of food.  I just want to make it and chow down.  My inner fat kid doesn’t like to wait for a photo shoot.  

Then there’s the transfer of pics to the computer.  Then editing.  That is less painful than I build it up to be, but it doesn’t stop me from some serious procrastination.  In short, I’m lazy and I’d rather do everything on my iPhone via Instagram.

But a new toy has come into my life and saved the day.  Thanks to Verizon and the Fitfluential Ambassador program, I was given a Samsung Galaxy Camera with Verizon 4G LTE network to try.  ***As always, all opinions are my own.***

camera

I was entertained on the drive to the mountains by taking pics of my iPhone and posting them to IG from my camera… while playing with IG on my iPhone too.  Simple minds, simple pleasures…

 

The Samsung Galaxy is basically a iPhone in camera form.  It even has a preloaded Instagram app to make over sharing stupid easy.  Sharing is done quickly, directly from the camera over Verizon’s 4G LTE network.

Instant gratification, for the win. 😉

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Foggy Blue Ridge Mountains

 

Some of you camera enthusiasts might appreciate that fact that it’s a 16 megapixel and 1080p HD video camera that features a 21x optical zoom lens.  I appreciate that there are pre-set modes allowing a total novice to take decent pics – even at night.  (Never fear for the camera geeks – there’s also an Expert Control mode to manually adjust shutter speed.)

Check out the blue moon last night:

20130820_212250

Taken using the “Night” setting

 

The large HD LCD touch screen makes it convenient to edit photos and videos right from the camera.  You can share it on any number of social networks, add it to your Dropbox, and even email it to yourself!

Mind = blown

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This WIAW was a bit disorganized.  Deciding to stay an extra day in the mountains meant I missed my farmer’s market run (Worth.  It.).  Most of this was obtained from the freezer or from a 15 min sprint 2 the local grocery chain. 😉

WIAWbutton

Read on for my odd-ball food, and then check out Jenn’s link up for everyone else’s delicious days.

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Breakfast:

My favorite addiction, my morning cocktail (apple cider vinegar, water, Glutamine, and  Fitmixer Aminos) started my day out productively… if you know what I mean…

It was an egg-y morning.  I made a quick omelette seasoned with cumin, cayenne, and cilantro.  It was stuffed with avocado and turkey.  That was followed up with a side of grapefruit.

eggs and grapefruit

 

Mid-Morning Snack:

This was my post-workout refuel.  I made a Zucchini Bread Protein Smoothie , only I subbed 1.5 oz of tofu for the cottage cheese and left out the spinach (I’m all out!).  I topped it with my custom granola from last week.  Really, really loving it!

And a cherry on top (followed by a few more on the side).

Zucchini Bread Smoothie

 

Lunch:

Swordfish (surprisingly good from the freezer) with red bell pepper, zucchini, and a slice of Ezekial bread.

Steak of the Sea

Afternoon Snack:

Another lazy man’s turkey salad.  I ripped up some no salt added turkey meat from the deli and mixed it with celery, red pepper flakes, cumin, nutritional yeast, and apple cider vinegar.

I ate my Dora edamame on the side.  Kid food is 100% acceptable as a single adult, no?

dora edamame

 

There was also a new gum involved.  I really liked the Pomegranate flavor, and I appreciate the crew at Pur Gum sending me these samples … but I wish the flavor had lasted more than 5 mins. 🙁

pur gum

 

Dinner:

Sea Bass (also surprisingly good from the freezer) with some hard-core roasted brussels and Injera (Ethiopian bread made of teff flour and water).

injera and sea bass

“Dessert” was what I was really excited for… roasted kabocha!  I topped it with peanut flour sauce and more of my custom granola.

cocoa roasted kabocha

 

Dessert:

Still struggling to hit my carbs, I added a little extra yum to my Carrot Cake Protein Batter.  I stirred in oats and topped it with my custom granola (again) and a cocoa powder sauce.  And cherries. I’m still a little low, but it was close!

Taken and shared on IG via my Samsung Galaxy camera!

Taken and shared on IG via my Samsung Galaxy camera!

***

You know I’m excited about a camera when I go wandering through the park after dark to take pics of the moon.  I’m a little shocked I didn’t get mugged…

Have you ever even heard of a smart camera like this?  How long until cameras and phones are always one in the same? 

Do you like “real” pictures or are you an iPhone photographer?

 

Back to Reality + WIAW

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A smart blogger would have posted a “What I Ate on Vacation” today.

I got too excited and posted my favorites on Monday.

There are a few things I didn’t yet share from Napa (besides the wine – that post is coming!).

The thing that earned me the strangest look from Lisa was probably my extreme excitement over seeing GT’s Classic in the CalMart (not to be confused with Wal-Mart).  The Classic is the version GT’s was forced to quit selling at many major markets due to the alcohol content.  This is silly.  Kombucha is fermented tea… but there’s not even enough booze for a buzz!  I chose the Gingerberry and didn’t get drunk in the least.

GT's Classic Kombucha

This next item DID pack a punch.  A Maple Bacon Manhattan from JoLe.  It was bacon-infused rye, Carpano Antica, and maple syrup… with a side of candied bacon.

I was only going to have a taste… but holy yum.

Maple Bacon Manhattan

Lunch somehow was missed in my Monday food post.  Our driver in Napa recommended that we try a new concept called R+D Kitchen.  It’s owned by Hillstone, which makes it a chain (I’m morally opposed to eating at chains)… but we bit the bullet and tried it out.  So very glad we did!

As with Houston’s, the food and service were top-notch.  We shared toasts to start – one with hummus and one with goat cheese and figs.  The hummus was very good – heavy on the tahini, which is ideal in my book!

R+D Kitchen toasts

For my meal I ordered a omelette with spinach and goat cheese.  It may look funny, but the omelette was fantastic.  It was done french-style.  It’s difficult to find a good one, but they executed it flawlessly!

It also came with roasted tomatoes and a side salad.  Those tomatoes made the meal!

R+D Kitchen omeltte

I know this is getting long… but one more!!!  Remember the “scenic” walk to dinner I took my friends on?  I think this view at Sol Bar was worth it:

Sol Bar

Most of the meal was too dark to take pics of and we were in such a night place I felt wrong using a flash (*gasp* I do have some shame).  The entire meal was mind-blowingly delcious, and our server couldn’t have been more fabulous.

I did get one decent shot of my birthday dessert.  Chocolate Decadence with Ortiz Farms raspberries, soft cream, and cocoa nib dentelle. Words cannot describe.  It’s the last (30th) birthday cake I’ll have, I swear.

Sol Bar birthday cake

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This day of WIAW eats was fun for me!  Monday morning I woke up to find that my fridge and freezer were not working.  After a brief panic, I managed to get a handyman out and have the thing fixed for less than $150.  It was also the perfect excuse to clean out my food stash and restock!  Restocking is the best – the farmer’s market didn’t know what hit it!  I was SO excited that I got home and did my food prep right then.  Snapper, cod, gazpacho, roasted kabocha, and bison burgers.  At 9pm.  🙂

WIAWbutton

Read on for my fresh fridge eats, and then check out Jenn’s link up for everyone else’s delicious days.

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Breakfast:

My morning cocktail (apple cider vinegar, water, Glutamine, and Fitmixer Aminos) is still going strong.  I am now so addicted that I brough the Fitmixer to Napa and purchased a bottle of ACV from the market there.

Something lit a fire under my butt, because I woke up in the mood to run sprints.  I can’t explain it.  Anyway, after the humid 30 minute run I couldn’t think of anything but a smoothie bowl.  Cold and now chewing required.  Does anyone else have a hard time chewing foods after workout?

Wheatgrass protein smoothie bowl

In my smoothie:

  • Vanilla protein powder
  • Wheatgrass
  • Spinach
  • Cinnamon
  • Fresh ginger
  • Lemon liquid Stevia
  • Cardamom
  • Toppings: plum and raw oats

Lunch:

I was so excited for this meal that I didn’t bother with my usual mid-morning snack.  During my Monday night food prep I roasted snapper with cilantro, fresh ginger, lime juice, pepper, and cherry tomatoes.  That was eaten for lunch along side a cup of gazpacho and a bag of veggie Pirate’s Booty.

Red Snapper and gazpacho

Afternoon Snack:

Despite having had a hearty lunch, I was still unnaturally excited for my afternoon snack.  Bison burgers!  I’ve been craving them for a long time.  This burger was so easy – I just mixed each patty with steak sauce and added red pepper flakes before cooking them in a pan.

I don’t use pre-made sauces often, but I did find this Robbie’s Naturals brand a Whole Foods that I love.  It’s low-sodium, low-sugar steak sauce.  (I also dig their BBQ sauce.)

Bison burger with Robbie's sauce

The side salad was also delish – red spinach, zucchini, asparagus (it’s been long enough to bring it back), shiitake mushrooms, thyme, lemon juice, and black pepper.

Dinner:

I’d been thinking of this all day long.  Sea Bass.  I think it’s passed swordfish as my favorite fish.  I ran home from my workout, coated it in thyme, rosemary, garlic, black pepper, and lemon juice before putting it in the oven for 12 mins (400 degrees on convection roast).

This gave me time to prep my salad: red spinach (nothing like spinach – it has a thick stem and is a little spicy), cherry tomatoes, and Persian cucumber.

Sea Bass and red spinach

Obviously I needed carbs after leg day, but I saved it for a little dessert…

Kabocha squash!  I roasted it as instructed in Friday’s #strangebutgood post and topped it with Peanut Butter Cannoli.

Cocoa Kabocha roast with peanut sauce

Dessert:

Nothing wrong with two desserts!  I almost had more roasted squash but decided to aim for variety.  And #strangebutgood-ness.

Shredded carrot, no salt cottage cheese, cinnamon, stevia, ginger, and vanilla topped with chocolate protein fluff made from vanilla protein powder, cocoa, beet powder, and stevia. Topped with massive blackberries and cacao nibs.  Just trust me.  It’s good.

***

Sorry for the picture-heavy post.  This was a lot… but I’m so excited about ALL the foods!  #lovemyinnerfatkid

Are there restaurants so nice you won’t take pictures?

If you could try anything in this post, what would it be?  I don’t think anything was terribly odd…

Back to the Gym + WIAW

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Patience is a virtue.  

 

That’s what I keep trying to tell myself.

Monday I was cleared by my surgeon to begin light exercise.  Good thing because I had already scheduled an appointment with my trainer for that night.  😉

Going back to working out after surgery (or any long break) is humbling.  I started with a leg extension weight 100 lbs lighter than I did 3 weeks ago.

first workout

 

We did a lot of lower body – mostly body weight stuff – and then 2 isolated bicep and 2 isolated tricep exercises.  It was really light, but I realized I’d have to go slow… especially when the twins got hot and swelled up.  It was crazy!

I’m going to do something similar on my own today.  Being careful.  It’s really hard knowing what I could do before, and seeing how much I lost in my arms in such a short time.  BUT it’s not forever.  I got there before, and I can do it again.  *deep breaths*

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This WIAW was fun for me because I was actually hungry from working out!  It’s a totally different feeling than regular hunger, one I didn’t fully appreciate before!

wiaw sensible snacking button

Read on for my eats, and then check out Jenn’s link up for everyone else’s delicious days.

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Breakfast:

My morning cocktail (apple cider vinegar, water, Glutamine, and Fitmixer Aminos) was of course the start to my day.

For my meal I wanted something sweet… but I also wanted a runny egg.  Remembering my favorite Waffle House meal, I decided to try something similar (but much healthier) at home – french toast topped with a runny egg!  I also added some warmed blueberries and toasted coconut.

Who needs syrup when you have #yolkporn?

French toast with runny egg syrup

 

Mid-Morning Snack:

No Salt deli turkey and an orange.  I ate these with my fingers while I bottled my latest batch of kombucha.  I was trying to get out the door for my first run post-surgery… ain’t nobody got time for silverware!

The curry leaves in the background went into a kombucha bottle with some of the orange.

 

I was running to get my race number for Thursday’s Peachtree Road Race.  It’s the world’s largest 10K and I was cleared by the doctor to run/walk it since it’s actually going to be cool outside thanks to the deluge of rain we’re getting.  The expo is only 2.5 miles from my place, so it was an easy jog, followed by a long break to browse the expo and buy new shoes before 2.5 miles back (shoes in hand).

Newton running shoes

New Newtons!

 

Lunch:

It was NOT cool yesterday.  Boob sweat is a whole new thing… whoa.

By the time I got back all I wanted for lunch was a smoothie bowl.  Big, green, and topped with muesli, this hit the spot while I sat on the couch icing the twins.  Almost remembered the pic too late!

Banana-Butterscotch Green Protein Smoothie Bowl

In my bowl:

  • Protein powder
  • Spinach
  • Zucchini
  • Butterscotch extract
  • Banana extract
  • Stevia
  • Ice + Water

 

Mid-Afternoon Snack:

Does anyone else have to think before they type kabocha vs. kombucha?  Kabocha is what I had for snack.  I have pre-roasted it in cubes, but I like to do a second roast to re-heat and crisp it up.  Before the 2nd roast I tossed it in cocoa powder, cinnamon, ginger, and cayenne (my favorite flavor combo).

cocoa-cinnamon roasted kabocha with peanut sauce

 

The sauce is my go-to: peanut flour, unsweetened almond milk, cinnamon, a couple drops of vanilla liquid stevia, and a splash of almond extract.

Note: I order my peanut flour from iHerb – I like it better than PB2 because it is less processed and doesn’t have the added sugar and sodium.  Use my discount code – USO924 – for $5-10 off your order!

 

Dinner:

This is what happens when I get bored.  I made a dinner requiring more thought than usual.  People comment that sometimes my meals seem elaborate or strange… but they typically don’t take very long and I prepare certain foods similarly.  Last night I tried something new-ish and inspired by a treat in the mail from Skinny Noodles (soy-free shirataki):

Skinny Noodle

 

The item I couldn’t wait to try was the rice.  I dislike rice… but non-rice?  That I can get on board with!  I never said I was normal.  The “rice” is really more like Israeli couscous… but that’s a plus in my book.

Tip when using shirataki: make sure you rinse it really, really well and follow the instructions to heat it in the microwave to get rid of the funk (it smells fishy when you open the package).

What I came up with was a herbed rice with veggies, which I topped with salmon.  It was really, really good.  One of those meals you make for yourself and then get a little sad there’s no one else there to taste it!

Salmon and rosemary shirataki noodles

There’s not real recipe – I didn’t measure anything – but here are the ingredients:

Cardamom Salmon

  • Salmon
  • Cardamom (just a little)
  • Cayenne
  • Black pepper
  • Lemon
  • Rice Vinegar
  • Red onion
  • Garlic
  • 1 drop orange liquid stevia
  • Fresh rosemary
  • Baked at 450 for 12 mins
  • Fresh curry leaves

 

Shirataki Rice

  • Red onion
  • Garlic
  • Fresh rosemary
  • Lemon juice
  • Red pepper
  • Zucchini
  • Cayenne
  • Ground ginger
  • Black pepper
  • Ginger
  • 1 serving “rice” (added after veggies sautéed)
  • 2 tsp nutritional yeast (added at end to thicken)

 

Dessert:

This is one of my all-time favorites to end the day – Carrot Cake Protein Batter.  I feel like it’s been forever since I’ve had one of these.  After surgery I couldn’t use the grater for the carrots, so making my favorite batter wasn’t possible!

Carrot Cake Batter with muesli

I was starving so I loaded up on the toppings: muesli, walnuts, and cacao nibs.  There was also a unpictured scoop of PB. 😉

***

Thank you all so much for the supportive comments on my Instagram and Facebook posts about being able to get back in the gym.  The encouragement means a lot as I (patiently) work my way back.

Don’t forget – one more day to enter the Designer Whey Sustained Energy giveaway!

Have you ever made something so good you were sad not to share it?  What was it?

Are you a victim of the kabocha craze? I propose we rename it Crack Squash.

 

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