Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Ch Ch Ch Chia & Java Jolt Oats & Tortilla Soup



In an effort to make my mornings more productive and less rushed I got up 1/2 hour earlier today. If felt really good to be able to slow down in the morning.

But, for an early morning there is nothing better than ...

Java Jolt Oats

1/2 cup of quick oats
1/4 cup Starbucks Chai Tea Mix
1 Pack Starbucks instant coffee
3/4 cup water

Bring liquid and coffee to a boil on stove. Add oats. Cook 1 minute.
Cover and remove from heat.

Stir in 1 T Dark Chocolate Dream PB and top with strawberries.





If these don't wake you up, I don't know what will!

Lunch was a little less caffeinated.

I had 2 slices of veggie pizza (no crusts), 1 pack of edamame beans, and an orange.

Dinner was incredible! I made "John's Tortilla Soup" from THIS RECIPE on Madeline's Blog. I couldn't find hominy so I took Madeline's suggestion and substituted with pinto beans. I also just used 1 large chicken breast, and I thought it was enough. The beans added extra bulk. It was excellent.

This was one of the best soups I have had in a while.
The lime flavour and cilantro make it perfect for summer!

I added obscene amounts of cilantro to mine
(Am I making some of you cringe? Alaina?)

It can be made without the cilantro. Although - that is an abomination. But, if you must.

Just don't tell me about it.

In my world there is no such thing as too much cilantro.
It is a miracle herb.

It makes everything it touches taste like AWESOME.
If awesome had a taste.




This soup was so good, I would order it in a restaurant. For sure.

I also had my favourite spinach salad with it.



Chia Seeds

I have been eating chia seeds for almost a year, and I always get questions about them. Here is some information about Chia seeds and why you should give them a try!!

Chia Seeds ...

- Have 3x more iron than spinach

- Swell up when added to liquid, helping to keep you full longer

- Have 3x more antioxidants than blueberries

- Balance your blood sugar

- Have more fiber than bran (5 grams per T)

- Are one of the highest plant based sources of protein (more than kidney beans!)

- Have 15x more magnesium than broccoli

- 6x more calcium than milk

- 7x more vitamin c than oranges

- Are a member of the mint family. They grow in both black and white colours, which are equally nutricious

- Don't need to be ground, are easily digested, and taste great as a topping on yogurt, oatmeal, in salads, smoothies, etc..

- Can replace an egg in baking! You can make a vegan "Egg" out of Chia seeds!!! - (3T water, 1 t chia seeds = 1 "egg")

- Keep in the cupboard for 2 years!!

- Can be used to grow chia pets :-)

(Source: superseeds.ca)

My snack tonight featured my beloved Chia Seeds!!

Chocolate Chia Pudding

- 2 T chia seeds
- 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze
- 10 drops of vanilla liquid stevia (given to me by NuNaturals - thank you!)
- 1/2 T cacao

Mix the first 2 ingredients for 1 minute. Add the next two and stir for 1 minute until mixed well. Let sit in fridge for approx. 10 minutes or until desired consistency.

Enjoy!





Is there anything "weird" that you eat that others ask about a lot?

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

My smoothies get a lot of questions when someone see them. I like the chia but haven't had them in awhile. Probably because I don't like waiting for them to soak.

Danielle (Coffee Run) said...

hahah as I was reading how much cilantro you added I was like blechhhh. Cilantro is the only herb I don't like! I could eat basil like that though :)

Anonymous said...

the oats look amazing!
And I have been meaning to try chia seeds for a while, think I'm going to have to get some, your chocolate pudding looks so good :) xxxx

Simply Life said...

I love the colors in your oats!

Anonymous said...

Oats look amazing!!
By the way, that quote at the top of your page ('Tell me what you eat, I'll tell you who you are') - I ADORE it :) xxxx

janet said...

Jolene, thanks for your comment on my blog.
Your breakfast looks scrumptious as does the chia pudding:) Chia seeds are the best, aren't they!

Anonymous said...

is cilantro the herb that tastes like black licorice? (I think I'm wrong, that's carraway, right?)

anyhow, that's the question I just asked myself. so I googled "what does cilantro taste like?" and the second hit down was this website:

http://www.ihatecilantro.com

hahaha.

Anonymous said...

hominie in mexican soups are DELISH...seriously. Oh..and I eat tofu and hummus alot and people are work always try to judge me!!

Heather Iacobacci-Miller said...

I wanted to thank you for stopping by my blog so I could read yours! Those oats look fabulous. I have some vanilla chai tea and was wondering how that might work with oats. I still have not tried chia seeds if you can believe that!

Becca said...

I've never heard of these seeds. I will have to show them to my mom it sounds like something she would be cry intereted on.

Anonymous said...

I get asked about bulgar a lot.

Becca said...

I think that my mom would be very interested in these seeds. I'm going to have to show them to her, can you find them pretty much anywhere?

Geocaching is so much fun! all you need is a walking GPS and log onto the site and you're ready to go. We have another outing planned for today, wish us luck!

Debbi Does Dinner Healthy said...

Very interesting about the chia seeds. I've been hearing a lot about them but I didn't realize HOW good they were! I'm going to try them. Any special place to get them?

Kat said...

mmm chocolate oats!! My friends think my carrot fries are weird...I cant understand why!

Toni @ Imperfect Pregnancy said...

Per your comment, I've thrown kale into everything from soups to quesadillas to pasta dishes. I just use it the same way I would spinach. I haven't done kale as a salad yet, but I don't see why it wouldn't work.

A lot of my friends think most of what I eat these days is weird because it's not standard American fare. I get recipes for vegan this and vegetarian that from them all the time with notes saying, "I saw this and thought of you." I have cute friends.

Anonymous said...

I just bought chia seeds because I've heard how great they are, but haven't had any idea of what to do with them, so thanks for the idea!

I like to sprout my own beans, which my family gives me a hard time about because whenever I visit I bring jars of half sprouted beans with me (they need to be rinsed every 8-12 hours, so I CAN'T just leave them at home). And I've just gotten into the world of making raw nut spreads, which are SO tasty, but unusual.

leah noelle said...

I can't stand cilantro! I like every other herb but cilantro just has the weirdest taste. I could never get used to it! Can I buy chia seeds at the health food store?

Samantha Angela @ Bikini Birthday said...

I saw a cool recipe for hominy on Tyler's Ultimate. It was a Jamaican creamed hominy recipe. I had no clue where to get hominy from either.

Anonymous said...

I absolutely LOVE cilantro - the more the better if you ask me!

Anonymous said...

There's a great nutritional report on chia seeds plus recipes at www.ChiaSeedsDirect.com.

Anonymous said...

Yay! I'm so glad you liked it! Definitely the best thing John makes!

Meredith (Pursuing Balance) said...

Oh my gosh, the chai tea concentrate in oats is an amazing idea! Why didn't I think of that? Must try it :)

Kacy said...

Those oats sound so good! I am not a huge fan of cilantro, but I love the way it smells.

Matt said...

Jo,

We have to read your blog at least once a week ...

It is very addictive (hahaha).

I remember you mentioning chia seed when talking to you at Christmas and knew very little about it except that it was high in protein and omega-3. I wanted to know its Chinese medicinal value so researched it a bit.

Apparently, Chia seed is extremely good for those who live in extremely dry climates because of its powerful damp moistening properties (Does it get any drier than Regina???). It should not be consumed as much for those who live in humid climates (like here in Victoria) because the excessive dampness in chia seed can cause an increase of health problems (especially in those who are over weight or live inactive lifestyles).

Also it was used as an energy tonic by South West American Indians before endurance races because it contains much protein that helps build muscle, hydrates during long, hot, gruelling events, and lubricates those overworked joints over repeated use. So you better make sure Chris eats lots of chia seed too ;) Especially before the big race.

Talk to you guys in a few weeks,

Matt

Kelsey Ann said...

hehe chhh chch chch chia!
what a jolt that would be! love coffee and oats so i know id love ur java jolt oats!
love the strawberries encircling too <3

hmm i think putting cinnamon on pineapple, people ask about it a lot i find.

Anonymous said...

LOVE the title of this post, lol! i am singing that jingle in my head now, thanks for that ;). the strawbs look so cool all lined up around the bowl, i should try that!