Homecookin’ on Hump Day

It’s finally come and gone, that day when the whole week turns around and we begin to coast into the weekend. TGIHD! Today was another crude 5:45 awakening when my alarm went off. All I could think about was getting upstairs to flip the coffee pot on. Must. Have. Coffee. Then miraculously I became a morning person. All in all its been a good week. Along with the recent return of rain showers we’ve gotten a fabulous warm-spell.. it was 56F degrees today. How about that? A week ago it was 16F degrees here and I was bundling up as if to face a deadly coldfront in Siberia. Glad that’s over, or atleast I hope it is.

So at the crack of dawn it was coffee, shower, breakfast and out the door. In that exact order. On the menu was of course: oatmeal.

1/2 cup oats
3/4 cup water
1/2 banana
1T honey
1T almond butter

MMm.. Mmm.. good! At the office sweets are still looming in the break room, but everyone seems to be getting over it. A box of cinnamon rolls has been there for over a week untouched. Yet today when I put out a bowl of raw green beans and hummus they were gone before lunch. Isn’t it funny how we craving the nutrition our body needs? Totally biological. Besides that, I think we’ve all had enough sweets to last us the rest of the year (that’s only 2 weeks!) When lunch came I was too hungry to stop and photograph. It happens sometimes. But you can take my word for it.. I had a whole-wheat wrap with arugula, proscutto, red bell pepper and mozerella. It’s one of my favorite home concoctions. Then I finished munching on my secret stash of green beans. How many of you have to hide green beans from your co-workers?

Tonight I gave myself the day off…from the gym that is. Since I got home around 6pm I cooked up a good, hot meal that I’ve been craving for about a week now, chicken caccitaore.

Chicken Cacciatore
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 pound mushrooms
1/2 14oz can of stewed tomatoes (no-salt added)
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp oregano

In sprayed skillet brown chicken for about 4 minutes on each side until golden. Lightly salt and pepper. Remove and set aside.

Add mushrooms to skillet and cook until soft.

Then add stewed tomatoes, oregano, and minced garlic. Cook on medium-low for 15 minutes while covered. Add chicken back to skillet, cover, and cook for another 6-8 minutes. The chicken should fall apart when you lift it with a fork. That’s when you know its done.  

I like mine over toasted quinoa. To toast it pour quinoa in dry skillet and cook over medium-low heat for 7-8 minutes. It will start to turn golden brown, and pop like popcorn kernels. Then cook on low for 20 minutes 1:2 ratio (1 part quinoa, 2 parts water).

Dinner is served..

There’s nothing quite as satisfying as a healthy, homecooked meal. I feel inspired to cook more Italian style meals right now as I start counting down until my European adventure in March. This rustic, Tuscan dish was modified to serve 2 due to the fact that I’m usually cooking for one and without exact number crunching I’d say between 280-300 calories per serving. That includes the fiber-ful quinoa. Speaking of quinoa, did you know that its considered a “superfood”? And it’s a green, not a grain. Quinoa is actually in the spinach family. It has, seriously, amazing health benefits. I would encourage anyone to incorporate it into weekly meal planning, and I’ll be doing the same!

Why quinoa is a superfood:

1) It’s a complete complete protein, containing all 9 essecial amino acids.

2) High in magnesium. Good for managing blood pressure.

3) Good source of fiber.

4) Rich in manganese and copper, which act as antioxidants.

5) Higher in calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, iron, copper, manganese, and zinc than ALL GRAINS.

What’s cookin’ in your kitchen tonight?

Well the night is young. I’m headed out for a glass of wine with a good friend. Hope your hump day was fabulous!