Mindful eating

When I read about "mindful eating" is when I began truly being conscious of what I decide to eat. It made so much sense to me as to the reasons why most people live unfit lives. We are so modernized, so accustomed to everything accomplished and consumed quickly. We literally forget that in order for us to be truly nourished from the inside out, we must first be able to perceive clearly that what we eat affects us tremendously. When we eat too much starch, maybe pasta servings for consecutive meals then we feel sluggish and unproductive. When we eat too much protein, then we feel blocked, heavy and bloated. My concern is that people who are so accustomed to digesting unhealthy foods are simply unaware of the effects these foods have on the body. Awareness is key.

I heard about "Xtreme Eating Awards 2009" today and found this article online: http://cspinet.org/new/200906021.html

I am not someone who is completely obsessed with eating only foods that are super healthy. As a cook, I can't live without butter... I believe butter is irreplaceable when it comes to turning any dish into a silky delicious meal. I'm a firm believer that anything in moderation cannot be harmful. When I feel like having peanut butter ice cream, I definitely indulge however my brain knows not to consume an entire pint ;-)

In line with eating healthy here's a recipe that I made for dinner tonight.

• 1/2 lb medium shrimp, uncooked, shelled & deveined
• 1 small zucchini, sliced lengthwise in flat strips
• 1 tomato, cubed
  
• 1 persian cucumber, sliced in thin rounds
• 1 bag of mixed greens
• handful of cremini mushrooms
• home made vinaigrette- extra virgin olive oil, chopped garlic, 1 tsp dijon mustard, splash of fresh lemon juice, salt 'n pepper to taste- whisked until thickened
• cajun spice

Pre-heat the grill.
Season the shrimp w/ cajun spice and evenly coat with olive oil lightly tossing to coat. Sprinkle zucchini w/ salt 'n pepper toss in a bowl w/ mushrooms and drizzle w/ olive oil.
Lay shrimp on one side of the hot grill and the veggies on the other side. Pay close attention to the shrimp for it cooks quickly.
When all is cooked, set aside to cool. Cut the zucchini pieces at a diagonal.
Start assembling the salad. Salad greens on bottom of the bowl, shrimp and veggies on top then a good drizzle of the home made vinaigrette.

Happy eating!

Comfort food

The weather in LA has been erratic. Yesterday was a day of gloom so Sunday was spent relaxing at home watching movie after movie. Today began cold and drizzly however now as I'm looking out the window, the sun is in full force. I enjoy the gloom from time to time especially living in Cali when almost everyday seem to be a picture perfect sunny day.

Mondays are major cooking days for my corporate luncheons and the weather definitely helped influence one of the dishes I'm making... I thought it's time for comfort food!

I've baked penne with roasted veggies many times before so this time, I added roasted herbed chicken breast then tossed some shredded smoked mozzarella before sending it to the oven.

Simple dish that is super quick to make but does not fall short on the comfort factor.

• 1 red bell pepper, seeded & cubed
  
• 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded & cubed
• small yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 chicken breasts, boneless & skinless
• olive oil
• 3/4 cup green peas, frozen
• 1 1/2 lb large elbow macaroni or any small pasta
• 1 cup smoked mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 28 oz. good marinara sauce, home made or canned
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
• butter
  

Preheat the oven at 350 degrees.
Season the chicken breasts with your favorite poultry rub. I use a spice rub I make on my own that consists of mainly smoked paprika, cayenne, garlic and onion powder, salt and pepper, dried thyme and dried oregano. Lay the breasts on a baking sheet and put it in the oven for about 8 minutes.
Meanwhile chop all the veggies and season with salt 'n pepper then drizzle with olive oil and toss. Pull out the chicken from the oven and take all the veggies and lay over and around the breasts, return to the oven and cook until chicken is cooked through and veggies are perfectly roasted, about 12-15 minutes more. While waiting go ahead and boil the pasta water and cook the macaroni according to pasta directions, note not to over cook the pasta since it will be baked again later.
When chicken and veggies are done roasting, set aside the chicken until it is cool to be sliced in bite-size cubes. Save all the juices in the roasting pan along w/ the veggies and transfer to a large bowl. Add the cooked pasta, season w/ more salt 'n pepper. Add the marinara sauce, the thawed green peas, the shredded mozzarella and lastly the chicken pieces all in the large bowl, toss gently to evenly spread the sauce and cheese.
Pour into a large baking tray, top with shredded parmesan cheese and small pieces of butter. Bake until cheese has melted and top starts to become golden brown.