Brain has been so scattered lately! Got time to do some cooking this weekend!

So the eye is healing nicely. Went to see my optometrist and her instructions with the eye drops is different than with the surgeon. Either way, the little bottle of drops are almost done just the big bottle. I am sure I will have to get another set of prescription for the other eye. I see the surgeon Wed April 30th. So we shall see what happens next. I think either way I will still have to wear reading glasses but hopefully the distance sight will be better especially at night and when it is raining hard.

I have been seeing the chiropractor at Proactive Health and Wellness. So far, it is a nice experience and he has been helping with my shoulder and neck. Foot , not yet. He has it planned for so many visits and maintenance mode which I like better.

This week at work has been busy but not terrible so far. New projects, new things to learn and I find it to be challenging at times but I like to be kept busy. Our CEO has been doing many things to bring on new opportunities to the company. There were many people leaving but it is way of business.

This week I actually have more time to get in some personal training and bootcamp classes They are good for me but I want to eventually change my schedule a little so I can go back to doing yoga at Arrichion and some strength training at Marvel Strength and Conditioning. This is the new gym I joined in April - and I have not been religious about going. I like the trainer there, she is very knowledgeable and she would rather you do things with good technique than try to do heavier weights and hurt yourself. I like the smaller crowd atmosphere.

 This weekend I made again fish, again stuffing, but different. All of us eat the same kind of foods week after week, I think it would be nice just to have it differently made So here it is:

Brown rice with shitake mushrooms, curry, and ginger cooked in chicken broth - no explanation needed.
Roasted cauliflower with onion and garlic
Flounder with stuffing 

Roasted Cauliflower florets - cut up florets, slice up onion, throw in cloves of garlic, seasoned with black pepper, coconut aminos, nutritional yeast, avocado oil, sesame seeds - Bake in oven at 450 until tender.

Stuffing - mix crabmeat and chopped turkey, add spinach, avocado, lemon juice, onion, pineapple salsa, brown rice, dill, parsley, cinnamon, coconut yogurt, thyme. Lay on flounder on bottom, spread stuffing, add the other piece of flounder, Flavor with sesame seeds, hot pepper jelly, green chiles - Bake in over 400 for 15 mins. Squeeze lemon juice!

The last picture is what my trainer gets to try! I like having her try my cooking or creation! Once upon a time, someone ask where do I come up with these recipes. I don't know I just do!

Enjoy my blog, and if you have questions or me to create something. I might just think about it. I don't cook for everyone but I am willing to help you!

 

Back to work Monday, but another well rested week

I think I finally got the needed rest. I was so exhausted that I could not think straight and felt like shit. So the few days off one week and the few days off last week was real nice. Wed was the cataract surgery, and I am amazed of the recovery. I was able to see OK, not clear but my eye did not hurt or was it feeling scratchy. It felt like whatever was in my eye was moving around, probably the implant settling in. So right now, I can see a lot better and I can definitely tell a difference between the other unoperated eye. A couple of post ops with Dr. Chin, my optometrist and then back to see Dr. Dahringer on April 30th. Hopefully get the other eye done and then the world will be all clear again. Sucks to be old but then I don't feel old - I am trying to take care of ME.

Last week was quite an interesting week. I was  off Wed and Thurs from doing any sorts of activities. Fri I had wanted to meet up with my trainer which never happen. I felt so bad and helpless that I could not do anything for her. Problems just crept up and she deserves better. And then there is my friend who is still sad and overwhelm. About all I can do is comfort both of them and just give them a big hug and lend them moral support. I sure hope all works well for them.

Fri I text my long time friend and we met for lunch. We had a good time just chatting and talking about old times and we promised each other that we shall meet again. Interestingly for 2014 I said I will stay in touch and talk to my friends whom I have not seen. It was her and then evening, I went to Whole Foods to pick up some items to make my detox drink and lo and behold I saw some more friends whom I have not seen in a long long time. That connection gave me a sense of warmth and much happiness. Never forget your friends!

This weekend I went back into kitchen therapy. This time it was something quite different. I did stuffed peppers but the filling is not beef or any other meat but salmon.

Here is my rendition of Stuffed Peppers with Salmon

Filling:  salmon, I used canned and some that I had cooked, chopped fresh spinach, feta cheese, minced garlic cloves, chopped red onions, chopped grape tomatoes, nutritional yeast, parsley, ginger, sesame seeds, coconut yogurt, vegan mayonnaise, brown rice. Seasoning: cinnamon, parsley, ginger, cumin, coriander, white pepper, asian seasoning, chicken broth

Cut off the top of the peppers and stuffed it

Bake at 400 degrees for 1 hrs

Nice and rested

Last post, I cooked more spicy dishes just because I miss that. So I was experimenting of creating a sauce for the fish dish I made. Yes, it is always about fish on the weekends. During the week, my hubby grills a lot so we would have chicken. Fish to some is the hardest to make. Why? Just because they don't know what ingredients to blend.

I finally had some time off from work. We went to see the Cirque de Soleil Michael Jackson performance. It was totally awesome and our seats were just right. But damn those seats are tight. I am not crazy about the $15 parking. I think it is outrageous. The show was extraordinary, the strobe lights, the acrobatics, they make it look so easy. Next evening I went to the No Boundaries 5K program celebration. I have never gone in all the years I mentored so it was very nice. My husband went too. And the rest of the week, I just chilled.

I have been going on and off some  bootcamp style classes that my trainer teaches. I have taken her classes and they kill you aerobically and physically. Could you imagine having another trainer who did football - suicides, hopping, jumping, running back and forth. I went to the class Sat morning. It was real nice but the damn pollen was causing havoc on my sinuses and lungs. Once in a while, it is good to change up routine otherwise, your body plateaus and stalemate.

Thurs was my birthday, yes, I turn the big 60 and I did something special. I spend some ME time, I went to Arrichion Hot Yoga in Durham and after class just took some time talking to Joni and Nancy. Then I went to run some errands. And then to the NOBO celebration. Birthdays to me is not about celebrating with gifts and dinner, it is about taking the time for yourself, taking the time to enjoy others, taking the time to give someone a hug, to care and listen. And this is what I did on my birthday. I love my family, I love my friends - if I can see them every day, I would hug them and tell them I love them.

My other love is the love of cooking and creating dishes. And every time I create a dish, I always share with my trainer. First, if she likes, it is trainer approved and secondly I like seeing smiles on someone's face who enjoy what I create. My husband said my dishes never is the same and he said I should write it down. My trainer said the same thing. And hence, here it goes.

My creation is:Stuffed flounder with crabmeat stuffing , and stuffed Portobello mushroom, tahini sauce

Stuffing - many ingredients: chopped mushroom stems, chopped shitake mushrooms, chopped kalamta olives, chopped artichoke hearts, chopped tomatoes, chopped, carrots, chopped onions, minced garlic cloves, fresh basil, feta cheese, minced crabmeat, cooking wine, fish sauce, chili sauce, gluten free breadcrumbs, lemon juice, sesame seeds, avocados mashed.

Stuffed Mushrooms - place stuffing on top of mushrooms, shake some dried onion flakes and bake in oven at 450 until soften

Stuffed Flounder - I had stuffing left, originally I was going to just bake the fish and add tahini sauce but I place a slice of fish underneath, place the stuffing, seasoned with black pepper, dash of red hot sauce and bake in over at 400 for 15 mins.

I roasted some pine nuts to be used for garnish on top of the fish.

Tahini sauce - most recipes calls for adding olive oil to make tahini. I find that too rich so I dial it down a bit. Sesame tahini paste, juice one 1 lime and 1 lemon, 5 cloves of garlic minced, I added water until it is more of a liquid base, added black pepper and parsley. When the fish is done, I spoon the tahini over the fish and sprinkle some pine nuts.

Here are some pics of the finished product. And yes, my trainer loves it