something fishy.

so.

you know how to shop for shoes, your picky boyfriend's christmas present, and an apartment that doesn't have a leaky toilet or rat infestation... terrific. But can you safely shop for fish?

Ordering and purchasing fish has been a bit of a hot commodity as of recent, so it was high time someone explained the process in terms that human beings can comprehend and not just rocket scientists!

What’s the big deal with seafood?

1. Sustainable fishing practices – basically, a fish is considered “sustainable” if the way it is harvested doesn’t harm the environment or the quality of the fish. If a company is depleting the water’s supply of a certain fish, it is not sustainable. Anytime a seafood risks becoming an endangered species, you don’t want to support that company. can you imagine life in ten years without shrimp? just because a fish is farmed instead of wild doesn't mean it's sustainable, either.

2. Safety – not to point fingers, but certain countries are not exactly known for their standards of cleanliness. Sure, they get their jobs done, but do you really want to buy a bag of frozen shrimp and find “mystery pieces” in with your dinner? Or eat fish who just so happened to be raised at the bottom of a sewer? Contamination by pollutants or poisonous metals is a real threat, too – one of my dear friend’s dad has permanent physical damage from eating contaminated fish. Your fish’s country of origin is crucial.


So how can you know what’s safe, and what isn’t?
The ONLY way to know for sure is to do your research. If you’re buying the fish, check the package carefully. It is required to have where the fish came from printed somewhere on the bag. If you’re out at a restaurant, ask the waiter. Thankfully, restaurants are getting more fish-savvy, and nice places will usually have the origin listed right there on the menu for you. the only way to know if a fish is sustainably raised, however, is to look it up.

a lot of work, right?
never fear, i have a solution!

... just to make me less of a freak, along with the purse full of coupons, I also have a little printout of sustainable fish that I carry with me when I go out or to the store.
Seriously, it is so helpful – just go to this webpage, click on your state, and print a guide for yourself so you don’t have to memorize every fish available… unless you’re up for the challenge, I guess!

Fish is one of the healthiest foods for us – low in saturated fat, low in calories, high in protein, and full of omega-3s and amino acids that help fuel our bodies. but it's only good for you if it's safe to eat!

If you’re gonna shell over your hard-earned cash for it, you deserve not to have to pick out “mystery” pieces or worry about what chemicals still are lurking in your food. I hope this helps!


Do you guys cook fish? Eat sushi?
are you concerned about where it’s from?
- r

that's how i roll.

... like my sushi joke (hah hah??).

ahem.
moving on.

i am finally gettin' my groove back in the kitchen, y'all.
thank jesus.
after fighting with a highly irritable belly for a few months, let's just say inspiration in the kitchen has been... lacking.

what got my rear in gear?
last week, my boy took me to a little place across from his house because i was craving sushi like a raging pregnant woman (of which i am not. to clarify.).

we'd been there before, but i figured i should check out the menu again to see what looked good.
low and behold, they added a new roll to the otherwise standard menu - an avocado and mango roll.
my foodie heart leapt for joy!

it was surprisingly really flavorful, but i couldn't help thinking, "you know... i could do better."

... so, i did.

ugly but tasty homemade sushi.

- package of nori (i got ten sheets/servings at whole foods for $3.99)

- cooked sushi rice (instructions below)

- your choice of main fillings - i used laughing cow wedges, smoked salmon, mango, and avocado)

- thinly julienned vegetables

optional garnishes - sesame seeds, soy sauce, wasabi, pickled ginger

let's do this thing.

1. make your sushi rice.

there are plenty of credible websites that teach you how to make an authentic batch of sushi rice, but here's my completely unauthorized, unqualified version:

- cook rice with equal parts rice to water.

- take off the heat, stir in a pinch of sugar, a pinch of salt, and a splash of rice vinegar.

- let cool to room temperature.

2. while your rice is cooking, chop your fillings.

- because of previously stated craving, i used thinly sliced avocados and mangos for one, and laughing cow, salmon, carrots, and cukes for another i fed to my guinea pigs family and friends.

3. lay down a sheet of nori, sprinkle a layer of sushi rice (leaving an inch uncovered at the top and bottom), and line fillings towards top.

4. hold your breath and pray fervently to the sushi gods while you roll tightly.

5. wet your fingers and seal the edge WELL. wet a sharp knife and slice into 6 pieces, wetting between each slice.

6. top with sesame seeds and serve with soy sauce!

experience foodgasms.

consensus: score.

i'm not gonna lie, i can't really think of too many times recently when i didn't think i could do better after going out.

am i alone in this?

................................................................................................................

another motivation to get back into the kitchen?

my mom pestering me to make hummus for her.
again.
for the 10,000th time.

i kinda feel dumb calling this a recipe.

- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed well

- scoop of nut or seed butter

- juice of 1 lemon (watch those pesky seeds!)

- 1 tbsp oil

- 2 or 3 cloves of garlic, minced

- spices of choice

1. combine first 5 ingredients in food processor, and pulse until smooth (or not. it's your life.). i used chunky peanut butter for my nut butter and sesame oil for my oil, fyi.

2. season according to taste. start with a teaspoon or two of each spice, and adjust as you go. i usually use black pepper, smoky paprika, chipotle chili powder, red pepper flakes, cumin, and onion powder.

consensus: i love it in paninis, on crackers, with carrots, on english muffins...

you guys know this.

i'm preaching to the choir.

.........................................................................................................

and p.s. - i'm finally going back to school!!!

i'll be at VCU this august for community health education, then specialize in culinary nutrition. 

after years of doctors' visits, countless blood tests, and a whole lotta tears, i'm finally moving forward again with my life.

it's been so frustrating to be home... not because i don't want to be here, but because i feel like it's just one more thing standing in between me and accomplishing my passions.

i have things to say, places to go, and people to eat with!

i know that this illness has, and will, serve a purpose in my life, and hopefully many others' lives as well.

i am actually incredibly thankful for it.

not that it's been pleasant, but because it has shown me how much i take things for granted, and after this, i will NEVER do that again.

i cannot thank god enough for giving me the strength to move on, my family for hugs when i need it, and you guys for support and encouragement!

-r

i'm already a bad blogger, and old favorites revisted

hey all!
i have a confession to make - i'm already a bad blogger. in my first week.
i'm already forgetting to take pictures! i was doing so well too.

so, today i am going to exercise my literary voice and thrill you guys through the written word. deal?

eats eats eats (all that really matters, right?)

yesteeeddaaayyyy - i had the BEST food today, and wish i had good pictures!

here's first breakfast:

amazing tj's sourdough bread with biggest loser protein mixed with hot water to make....

CHOCOLATE SAUCE! make. this. now. please.

i also had two fig and cashew laraballs (my effort to eat raw foods!)

i did a quick back, lower back, and abs strength training sesh, followed by a little biking workout (to stretch from monday's killer lifting).

second breakfast: blueberry/raspberry/flax smoothie.... om nom nom. then i grabbed a handful of slivered almonds on the way up to shower.

 

i did well until this point. mom and i went to tjmaxx looking for her china and then to whole foods for lunch (!!!). i even got excited about getting to take food bloggie pics at wf but i forgot to! mom and i were chatting too much.

buutttt - i had the vegan black bean soup (my fave!) and some roasted curried eggplant and tomatoes. heaven.

 

for second lunch i had a whole wheat wrap the size of my head stuffed with the last of my roasted veggies from sunday. booooooooooo i hate it when i eat all my good food. i poured about half a bottle of salsa in with it. for good measure and stuff.

 

i also roasted quinoa to add to my sister's gluten-free granola, but forgot to take pictures, obviously. it was pretty good, but i need a dehydrator (helllooo manufacturers? help a sister out!??). i have a growing list of things i want to put in there (that's what she said).

 

and because clearly you guys don't know what my salads look like, here you go. more pictures.

 

(photo cred goes to mom.)

ok. so i had a dilemma. after my salad i was full, but i hadn't eaten near enough calories (for more on this, check out yesterday's post). so i waited a few hours, and made myself a peanut butter banana smoothie. still hadn't had enough, but i was closer, and did something good for my body.

and for today's goodies:

- carrot cake oat bran! very kath of me, no? it was heaven! 1/3c oatbran, water to cover, grated carrot, and two chopped up fig laraballs (instead of raisins - i like figs better, and hello they had cashews in them!). after cooking i mixed in some cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, and ginger. oh babyyy.

- i was still INCREDIBLY sore today but had planned on jogging some (trying to get back to running in time for spring weather!). i ended up walking and jogging intervals while talking to my buddy zach.

when i go home, i ate the last half of the pear from the other day, even though it was brown. kinda glad i didn't take a picture of this one.

question time! do you guys ever eat something even though it looks gross? what?

i usually don't eat pasta in public for this very reason... except I'M the one that looks gross, not the pasta!

- after my shower, i ate some quinoa i made yesterday with s & p, along with my new favorite tea,

bigalow's vanilla chai tea.

DRINK THIS!!! it tastes like graham crackers and vanilla ice cream.... but it's tea! apparently they have vanilla caramel, and i'm not sure how i don't own ALL the boxes of that. like last year.

ANYWAYS

- then i went to chipotle for lunch with a friend.

cred: chipotle website

i was super honored because he asked me to do a little nutrition consultation with him. how cool is that? sometimes i feel frustrated because nutrition is one time i know the answer to questions people have, but i don't want to step on anyone's toes, so i sit quietly (WHEN I COULD BE HELPING!!). not that i know all the answers, but i am passionate enough to find the answer if i don't!

and yes, i'm aware i forgot to take pictures. but it's ok, because as much as i adore chipotle, today i wasn't thrilled with what i ordered. honestly, i think it's because i'm so spoiled by my salads that nothing else measures up.

do you guys have something you crave you can make better at home?

- i had the veggie salad with black and pinto beans, roasted veggies (which were AMAZING!), and two salsas, over romaine.

- when i got home, i had a veggie wrap for the 1039840234th day in a row, but i added in trader joe's raw almond butter. i LOVE this stuff!

i'm trying to eat a lot more raw foods since i've cut out meat, and this stuff is the best. anyone else eat nut butter with veggies? AND the jar is almost empty so i can officially be a blogger and make OIAJ!

- since you guys know what oats look like, i didn't take a picture of my second bowl of oatmeal for the day, but can i just say how AMAZING IT WAS?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

i am in the middle of transferring to mostly plant-based eating right now, but i was really craving egg, and i hadn't had any in days. i just used 1/2c rolled oats, pinch of salt, pinch of stevia, shake of cinnamon, and added in a serving of liquid egg whites, and holy cow it was bangin!

FOODIE REVIEW: KIRKLAND SIGNATURE

from costco website.

i can't believe i'm saying this, but i never liked the trader joe's egg whites. they just kinda held my veggies together in my omlette. no flavor or texture, really.

BUT THESE BABIES ARE HEAVEN.

really. i added them to my oats and it was the BEST oats i have ever had. ever. and i've eaten a lot of oatmeal! they are thick and creamy, and have the richness of egg yokes. even though they aren't. strange.

stats:

Serving Size 1/4 cup (2oz)

Amount Per Serving
Calories from Fat 0
Calories 30
% Daily Values*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 115mg 5%
Total Carbohydrate 1g 0%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Sugars 0.5g
Protein 6g

Vitamin A 15% Vitamin C 0% Calcium 2% Iron 6%

i often add egg whites into my oats after cooking to add protein without fat before my workouts, but this took it to a new level. i want to eat this everyday.

vegans, any help here? any alternatives?

as of right now, that's all my eats, but i'm getting sushi tonight with a beautiful friend of mine, so you know they'll be more!!!!

i hope you guys enjoyed your day, and here's my questions again:

1) do you guys ever eat something even though it looks gross? what?
2) do you guys mix nut butters with veggies/savory foods? or just with fruit and toast?
3) vegans/vegetarians, how did you guys go through your transitions? what were your challenges?

happy hump day!
- rebekah