The condition of being pregnant: a test for pregnancy.
An instance of being pregnant: Her second pregnancy was easy.
The period during which one is pregnant: the first trimester of pregnancy.
Period of time in which one is subjected to constant criticism over what one should eat.
Period of time in which one is banned from eating all the foods one loves.
The quality or condition of being rich in significance, import, or implication.
Creativity; inventiveness.
Adapted from Dictionary.com
Ah, pregnancy, a time in your life to cherish. In time in which you are “glowing” and everyone remarks on the lovely beauty of bringing a child into the world. The part no one talks about until you are too far in to back out, is the food. Current guidelines for pregnant women ban all sorts of delicious foods that would normally be fine for any able bodied human. Food that “may” cause harm, but best not to risk it.
Let’s list off some of these foods. If you’ve never been pregnant or don’t know anyone intimately enough to know their eating habits whilst pregnant, I will enlighten you.
Foods Banned completely during pregnancy:
Soft cheeses (BRIE!)
raw and undercooked eggs (the ONLY kind I eat, and which also means no cookie dough)
meat cooked below medium (is there such a thing?)
Deli meats and patés (no cheese and meat platters for me over the holidays)
Sushi containing raw fish (what do Japanese women do then?)
So there you have it, the not so glamorous side of pregnancy for food lovers.
So, it is in this vein of thinking that I created a meal close to one I would enjoy regularly alongside a nice big plate of raw fish. One of my favourite things to order for lunch when I worked in a busy office, was the unagi bowl. Unagi is barbequed eel slathered in a sweet sauce called kabayaki. It is served on a bed of rice and more kabayaki is poured over. Delicious! When we would go out for sushi for dinner, I would always have unagi rolls or nigiri and all assortments of other, more raw bits as well. Well, now that I am in the family way, raw fish is out, and therefore, I have to be a bit more creative.
So if you, like me, cannot eat raw fish, or maybe you simply cannot stomach it, then try this “sushi” bowl on for size.
Deconstructed Sushi Bowl
1 cup brown rice
2 1/4 cups water or broth
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 tsp salt
300g mixed seafood (I used prawns, octopus, squid and mussels)
2 green onions, sliced
3 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
2 Tbsp Mirin
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp shiracha chili sauce
1 Tbsp dry wakame seaweed
1 avocado, sliced
sesame seeds (optional)
1. Add water, rice, butter and salt to a medium size sauce pan. Bring to a boil, stir a few times, lower to simmer for 45 minutes.
2. In small saucepan, combine green onions, soy sauce, Mirin, sesame oil, rice vinegar, garlic and chili sauce. Heat to simmer and continue to simmer for about 5 minutes.
3. Reconstitute seaweed. In small bowl, add dry seaweed flakes and 1/4 cup hot or boiling water. Allow to sit for 5 minutes.
4. In a small sauté pan, heat 1 tbsp butter and add in seafood. Sauté for 5-6 minutes, just enough to cook thoroughly.
5. Slice your avocado, and set aside.
6. In bowls, layer rice, seaweed and seafood. Pour sauce generously over top. Top with 1/2 of the sliced avocado.
7. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired and serve. Kampai!
Weekends are meant for laziness. I don’t mean you should do nothing, but the fast pace of the week has come to an end, and now it’s time to take it easy. Watching movies with the kids, baking a huge batch of chocolate cookies “just in case”, meandering around stores in search of nothing in particular, a stroll through a wintery park, these are the things of Saturdays and Sundays.
But what about dinner? Yes, dinner often takes a somewhat concerted effort to pull off, especially for families with kids. So what to do on those lazy days that you want to stay home, but don’t feel like masterminding an entire meal? Meet the pulled pork sandwich, akin to a po’ boy, a manwich, a sloppy Joe, or other delicious, yet simple meaty fare. Literally, you only need to do 3 things and you will be eating a savory, filling and delicious sandwich your Poppa would be proud of.
The key to pleasing your family is using a sauce everyone loves. So pick your fav, let it mellow and be serving dinner with little to no effort on your part in mere minutes. Mom saves the day again!
Easy as 1-2-3! Seriously!
Easy Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Pork Butt Steak (1 per 2 people)
1/3-1/2 cup BBQ Sauce per steak
1/4 cup water per steak
buns or bread for making sandwich
1. Place all ingredients in crock pot or slow cooker (except for the buns of course).
2. Turn to high for 3 1/2 hours or on low for 5-6.
3. When done, flake meat using two forks (do this in the bottom of crock pot). Stir to combine with remaining sauce. Serve on buns or slices of bread!
Feeding a family and getting them to like everything that you like can be a challenge. As many mothers, wives, fathers, husbands and cooks know, that may be the understatement of the year. Pleasing everyone is impossible, yet getting them to eat what’s in front of them might not be. Often, as the family on a single income, we like to make cheaper meals a part of our weekly routine. I don’t compromise on flavour or nutrition though, ever. In this family, taste and health are number one. Sometimes we end up over budget on the weekly grocery shop, but most times we are under.
A great way to achieve your budgeting goals, is to make vegetarian meals a couple of times a week. Leaving out the expensive proteins and replacing them with cheaper (and just as or more nutritional) vegetarian alternatives will be good to your wallet. Often, you may already have the ingredients to make a vegetarian meal right there in your pantry, wallowing away in behind all the pasta noodles, rice bags and condiments.
I find a lot of people are at a loss to come up with something vegetarian that will appeal to all at the table. Burgers are a fantastic way to get everyone on board. Not only are they tasty and filling, but the act of making your own bun up and putting on the toppings you want, customizing to your own tastes, is what draws people in. These burgers are easy to prepare, good for you and fun for the whole family….they might not even notice the cilantro. If it is a problem though, just leave it out, up the other seasonings a bit and you’re good to go. Go save some money!
Black Bean Burgers
1 19oz can Black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro (tender shoots and leaves)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 small red onion, diced
1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
1 egg
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce **
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
Salt & pepper
Romaine lettuce leaves
1/2 avocado, sliced
Tomatoes, sliced
Slices of cheese (Cheddar, Mozzarella, Edam, Gouda, Brie, Havarti, etc)
Buns, halved
1. In bowl of food processor, add half of drained beans, cilantro, minced garlic, diced onion and egg.
2. Pulse until beans and remaining ingredients are mixed thoroughly.
3. Pour mixture out into medium sized bowl and add remaining beans, bread crumbs and seasonings.
4. Form patties and place on greased, aluminum foil lined baking sheet.
5. Bake in a 375°F oven for 25 minutes. Turn once halfway through and lay cheese over patties if desired, returning to oven for remaining time.
6. Serve on buns with condiments of choice and vegetables to garnish.
Now, sink your teeth into all that “hard” work and think about all the money, calories and carbon you just saved. Doesn’t that feel good? I know I feel better already.
**Note: As Trish has pointed out, traditional Worcestershire sauce is made with anchovies (always good in Caesar Dressing!) so adding it may not be for everyone if they are strict vegetarians. Feel free to omit it, or add in a vegetarian variety.
So, I am trying to be good. I am trying to eat more seasonal this week, and in the process, I am being bad. When I wrote out my recipe ideas for this week, this particular recipe seemed perfectly healthy. Then I started making it. I think there must be 1/4 cup of butter in there or more. Doesn’t seem like a lot, but when you are watching yourself get bigger by the day (and I do mean by the day, sigh) you should at least try to not use so much fat. In hindsight, this meal was absolutely delicious. Filling, savory, buttery, smothered in it’s own sauce of creamy egg yolk, sweet and salty. The only thing it could have used, was maybe a bit more texture. I think, served with some bread, it might have just been the perfect meal, sadly, I can’t eat that much right now. It just won’t fit in there.
If you think of other ways to add to this lovely meal, or ways to make it even better, I’m open to suggestions. I absolutely love polenta, but don’t make it nearly enough. Send me your ideas!
Warning! Large portions of butter are about to be consumed!
Soft Polenta, Caramelized Onions, Mushrooms and a Poached Egg
For Polenta:
1 clove garlic, minced
3 cups water or broth
1 tsp butter
3/4 cup corn meal
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 -3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1. Heat butter in bottom of large, heavy bottom saucepan until melted. Add garlic, sauté 30-45 seconds, add in water or broth.
2. Bring to boil and slowly (while whisking) drizzle in corn meal. Lower to a simmer and allow to cook, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes.
3. When finished add in remaining butter and Parmesan cheese, stir to combine and keep warm until serving.
For Caramelized Onions:
1 small sweet onion, sliced
1 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp dark brown sugar
1/3 cup dark ale
1. Add butter and onions to a small sauté pan and heat on medium high until onions begin to soften.
2. Add in sugar and allow to dissolve fully.
3. Add in beer, turn heat up to almost high and allow to simmer away until all liquid has been absorbed.
1. Heat butter in sauté pan until melted, add mushrooms.
2. Sauté until softened and slightly browned.
For Poached Eggs:
1. Fill a medium sized saucepan 3/4 of the way with water. Add in 1-2 Tbsp of white vinegar.
2. Crack two eggs into small cups.
3. Bring water to a boil, then lower to a slow simmer.
4. Dip one edge of egg bowl into water and release egg, wait 15 seconds and repeat with other egg. Allow to cook for 3 minutes.
5. Make sure eggs aren’t sticking to bottom of pot, they will become overcooked. If they are, gently nudge them with a slotted spoon to release.
6. Remove from water and drain on towels. Serve immediately.
To assemble your awesome, rocking meal:
1. Place small mounds of polenta on plates, pushing down slightly in center to nestle egg.
2. Pour caramelized onions over one side and repeat with mushrooms.
3. Top the whole thing off with your perfectly poached egg.
4. Consume.
(prěg’nən-sē)
