Super Bowl Memories & Leftovers

The Super Bowl has always been an important event for me.  Each year, on the first Sunday of February, my family would go to my uncle’s house for a Super Bowl party extraordinaire.  We’d order both pizza and Chinese food, make bets on the game (I’m talking a toonie, MAX) and spend quality time together as we cheered for our favourite team and watched the halftime show.

In February 2004, my uncle lost his battle with cancer.  Since then, Super Bowl Sunday has been bitter sweet.  It’s the time of year I miss him most, but it brings me comfort to carry on the tradition that I had always cherished as a kid.  I never miss a Super Bowl party and will continue to carry on the legacy of the first Sunday of February. 

This year, all the necessary elements were in place.  I made a bet with my dad and my younger brother that the Patriots would win (thank you fiancé for steering me in the losing direction!), invited some of my favourite people over, and cooked a Super Bowl feast that was sure to please.

I always like to make traditional game time foods, and this year’s menu was no exception: guacamole, bean dip, salsa and slow cooked pulled chicken sandwiches and of course, beer.  Dee-lish! 

(*side note: Madonna was amazing.  I don’t care what the 10,000+ TPS (tweets per second) had to say.  Madonna=awesome. Period. )

We went to bed that night with full bellies and another awesome Super Bowl memory to add to my collection.  

…We also ended up with a fridge full of leftover pulled BBQ chicken.  

And so, last night’s dinner took leftover chicken to a whole other level:  Pulled Chicken Hash.  Yes, that’s correct.  Potatoes, meat and a runny egg…what could be better??? 

Pulled Chicken Hash

2 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 sweet potato diced

• 2 cup of leftover BBQ pulled chicken

• 2 eggs

Directions:

Boil potatoes in salted water until tender. Place potatoes in a large heated skillet and sauté until golden brown.  In the meantime, prepare easy-over eggs in a separate skillet.  Plate potatoes on two plates, top each with 1 cup of heated BBQ pulled chicken and place the easy-over egg on top. Serve with a side or roasted brussel sprouts and enjoy! 

 Try it. You’ll thank me.  

Sleepy Time Foods

*Yawn*

Every sentence I have spoken today has been interrupted by a yawn.  In fact, the word yawn makes me yawn and I am yawning right now as I type this.  I have not had a good night's sleep in weeks and am starting to think I'm becoming an insomniac.

I'm not sure if it's the weather change or the bright street lamp that shines through the tiny crack in my bedroom blinds like a laser beam pointing right at my sleeping face.  Either way, I just can't seem to get a restful sleep.

I have tried everything.  Sleepy Time Tea, forcing myself to get into bed earlier and I've even given up coffee and all other caffeinated beverages. Nothing is working.

Today I decided to consult the internet for solutions to my sleepless nights.  I found this link that highlights 10 foods to help with sleep.

Seeing as bananas, almonds and oatmeal are among the list of sleep aids, I figured I'd share a great recipe for healthy banana oatmeal almond muffins. They are great for breakfast and now I would recommend eating them as a bedtime snack. I have aptly renamed the recipe:

Sleepy Time Muffins

Ingredients:

• 3 ripe mashed bananas
• 1/3 cup of almond butter
• 1 egg white
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups of oat flour (put 1 1/2 cups of old fashioned oats in the food processor)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbs sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together all wet ingredients in a bowl (bananas, almond butter, egg, vanilla).  In a separate bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients.  Stir the dry mixture into the wet mixture.  Pour into muffin tins lined with muffin cups and place in the oven for 18-20 minutes.  Let cool (but only a little because apparently warm foods and beverage help you sleep!) ENJOY!

Super Grain: Quinoa for Every Meal (3 Awesome Recipes)

It's been a while since I've shared a recipe...or anything healthy for that matter.  I have been feeling invigorated and inspired since my bout with the two-week-plague and have resumed my healthy lifestyle. I feel back in shape and after several weeks of not grocery shopping, I am now stocked up with all the essentials.  Oh, and I got my taste buds back! Phew.

I usually plan a week's worth of dinners before I go grocery shopping, and on this week's menu, a very delicious quinoa dinner.

For those of you who are like "quin-what?"- quinoa is an ancient grain from South America and contains essential amino acids making it a great source of protein (shout out to vegetarians). It's also a great source of fiber (I am a big fan of fiber), iron AND it's gluten-free (shout out to Celiacs). Quinoa has a light and fluffy texture similar to couscous and can be used as a substitute for risotto, in salads and even as a breakfast food.

I found an AMAZING breakfast quinoa recipe on ridiculouslyhealthy.com (a great website for healthy recipes!):

Quick & Easy Chocolate Quinoa

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of quinoa
• 1/2 cup of water
• 2 tsp cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• sweetener (or sugar) to taste

Directions:
Combine quinoa, water, cocoa and vanilla in a saucepan with a lid.  Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or as long as it takes for the quinoa to absorb all the liquid.  Turn off heat, fluff with a fork and place quinoa in a bowl.  Top with sweetener (or cinnamon) and enjoy!

This recipe is a great way to get that "hit" of chocolate in the morning and it's super healthy! (calories: 180, dietary fiber: 4.2g, protein: 6.7g).

Not only is quinoa an awesome substitute for oatmeal in the morning, it also makes a great lunch.  You can pretty much sub out lettuce for quinoa in any of your favourite salad recipes, but here's one I really enjoy:

Village Greek Quinoa Salad

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup diced red pepper
• 1/2 cup diced green pepper
• 1/2 cup diced cucumber
• 1/4 cup diced green onions
• 1/4 cup sliced black olives
• 1/4 cup diced red onion (optional: I leave this out because I don't really like raw onions.  Your co-workers might not like them either if you are bringing this salad to work for lunch)
• 2 ounces of light feta cheese

 Salad Dressing:

• 1/4 lemon juice
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano

Directions:
Combine quinoa and broth in a saucepan, cover and let simmer for 20 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and transfer to a large salad bowl to let cool. Once quinoa is cool, stir in veggies and cheese.  Whisk together the ingredients for the dressing and pour over the quinoa mixture. Enjoy!

And for tonight's dinner:

Mexican Inspired Quinoa

Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup diced green pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped green onion
• 1/2 can of black beans (drained and rinsed)
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 cup cooked diced chicken
• 3 tbs of salsa

Directions:
Combine quinoa and broth in a saucepan, cover and let simmer for 20 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff with a for. Add veggies, beans and chicken.  Stir and top with cilantro.  You can also sprinkle goat cheese on top if you'd like (I usually do). Enjoy!

This dinner is packed with protein and is the perfect post-workout meal.

I can't wait for dinner tonight!