Healthy Jambalaya

One of the major carbohydrates we Filipino's often consume is rice. Its our most eaten carbohydrate and second to that we consume mostly bread and rarely we eat legumes or fruits as a primary source of energy. The sad thing about it is that we consume only white rice which is reduced of nutritional content because it is too polished to improve the taste. I have posted blog a month ago about the health benefits of brown rice and why should we eat it despite the fact that its more pricey and less palatable because of its texture.

Just recently I have experimented this recipe that I got from a Food Magazine. Its called a Jambalaya. My friend Don Don who likes to cook a lot approves to give it a try since he is the one who have a fondness for cooking. Although we thought it may not turn out as delicious as its white rice countepart version but nevertheless its more healthy.

The following is the recipe I have followed :

Healthy Jambalaya

Ingredients:

2 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cups of cooked ham
1 medium onion sliced and quartered
1/2 cup chopped bell peppers. Any color combinatin will do
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
2 1/2 cups water
1 cup Brown rice uncooked
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dried leaf thyme
1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1 pound peeled, cleaned, and cooked shrimp

Procedure

1. Heat the oil in medium heat over a large deep skillet.

2. Put the ham and cook it till slightly brown, then saute in onions, bell pepper and garlic ; cook them till tender

3. Put the tomatoes and tomato paste, water, rice, bay leaf, salt, thyme and cayenne pepper. Stir to mix the ingredients well till its boiling. Then reduce from medium heat to low. Cover the skillet and simmer it for 30 minutes. Stirring the food from time to time.

4. Put the shrimp and mix it in. Simmer for a few more minutes to let the shrimp flavor to sink and enhance the flavor.

After cooking it. It the turns out delicious despite the husky texture of the brown rice. I would recommend this recipe to my friends who wants to maintain a healthy body. The good thing about jambalaya is it contains a lot of tomato which is a rich source of lycopene and the shrimp content makes it great because of its high selenium, zinc, and protein content. The lycopene, selenium, zinc, and protein makes its perfect enough to be a skin food and the rich vitamin B complex content of brown rice makes up for a healthy nervous system.


(recipe source : SL Agritech Corporation)

Healthy Fruity Bloody Mary

This is a personal recipe I concocted while at home. I was shopping at Rustan Makati and pass over the fruit stand saw all my favorite fruits which are hard to find as well. I grab a basket put all rare fruits I could pick. This juice that I specially brewed (speaking like a witch) is designed specifically to purify the body but accidentally would do great wonders fo the skin as well. The following are the ingredients


Ingredients :


150 grams watermelon

150 grams strawberries

100 grams raspberries

6 pieces of cherries


Procedure :

Drop all the ingredients in a blender with 2 to 3 pieces of ice cubes or depending on how evaporated you want the juice to be. Top with whole strawberries or cherries if desired and drink right away.

The ingredients of this healthy drink composed of fruits good for the skin like watermelon which is perfect on hydrating the skin and its packed with beta carotene and vitamin c. The strawberries and rasberries are known to be high in anti-oxidants that fights free radicals in your body. Its high in potassium, lycopene, and zinc which are great in purifying your system. So everytime you and your friends have a get together instead of the real bloody mary try to replace it with this mix blend of red fruits for a change. Its definitely free of hang over and you will wake up the next morning with a healthy glow.

Making an awesome Peanut butter sandwich

One sunday afternoon when I woke up at the house I was so hungry. I look around to see if their is something to eat at the fridge and all I see was the leftovers from last nights dinner. Nobody is around since everyone went out to go to the malls or to church ergo their is no food cooked in the kitchen argghhh!!!! Double whammy really. So i look inside the fridge for the second time around and look for anything to gobble that dont require a lot of time to prepare. I see a lot cereals and fruits. Then their is also a loaf of wheat bread and a lot of spreads. I really want to eat a real lunch not the breakfast fare the fridge is offering and then, their is hope. Their is like a light bulb flashing into my head. I saw a bottle of Peanut Butter.

I started making this sandwich that I used to make when I was a kid and really I find it so filling even for a grown up like me. So I started gathering the ingredients for this super meal. I grab the whole bottle of the less fat Peanut Butter which happen to belong to my super buff brother. I also pick 3 large slices of whole wheat bread, the bottle of the strawberry Jelly, the Honey also. I thought I would be satisfied but because I could a whole cow at that time I added 2 slices of light bacon which also belong to my brother ahahhaha (im in for some trouble), and also a big banana and the little box of raisin at the cold recesses of the ref ahahahah. I can almost hear my brother on top of my head grumbling.

I put the 2 slices of bacon and heat them for 5 minutes at slightly high heat. I put the 3 slices wheat bread at the toaster when their is only 2 minutes remaining for the bacon to cook. After that I grab one of the bread and started spreading peanut butter on the bread and slice the banana in the middle to make smalls circles and placed them on top of the peanut butter together with a few raisins. After that I put some strawberry jelly on top of the second bread and placed the sinful bacon on top of it. I placed the third slice on top of the bacon then put them on top of the peanut butter and wowowweeee instant Peanut butter club house sandwich

I consumed the whole thing in 20 minutes then I counted the calories on the whole sandwich. I think it would reach to almost a thousand. But regardless of the sugar spike it gave me a I know the energy Im getting didnt come from empty calories.. It is filled with a lot of protein and fiber. Except of course for the two bacon slices do not count as healthy but since its less fat I think it would be an exception or maybe look next time for a better alternative. Peanut butter consist of monounsaturated fat that is good for the heart. I also planned on making this same sandwich when I go to the gym and plan to have some protein boost after the workout. Yes it packs a lot of calories but the ingredients alone guarantees they would do good to your muscles and your body (again a disclaimer against the bacon because I thought its delicious). All of a sudden all of the good stuff in my head started to disappear when my brother walk in the door and saw me nibbling on his food. Nyahhhhh I could see the dagger look in his eyes. I told him immediately I would replace the food when I go outside to buy for my groceries lolzz!!!! and offered him also if I could make him the MOST AWESOME PEANUT BUTTER SANDWICH EVER with the matching begging look of the cat in SHREK. ahahahahahha but the reaction is another story. :p