Food – BerryGoodEats

Using pilates, yoga, or just general health can help guide your eating habits and create a way of life that is much more prosperous. For example, today my mother and I were invited to an early morning private pilates session with our long-time friend and neighbor. We spent the morning getting private attention from our engaging and knowledgeable trainer, learning new ways to stretch our bodies and strengthen our “centers.” Pilates is a wonderful workout and practice for anyone- be it man or woman, young or old. I myself am not a big fan of tramping to the gym and doing one monotonous, strenuous workout after another. I hate running and can’t stand lifting. But using dance, yoga and pilates has taught me to focus and strengthen my body; I have gained more than just physical strength, I have been granted a newer and more focused sense of self and my body… not to mention found some long lost confidence!

Needless to say, after a two-hour session on the mat we were all ravenous. After working out, your body will crave carbs, proteins and fiber. So, I thought it was a good idea to scour the fridge for some left-behind meats and veggies. Sure enough, I found some chicken cutlets and one lone steak, along with a pepper and zucchini left over from the fajitas I made earlier this week. I also had some cheese, crackers and olives that I needed to clean out before the week’s end, and decided they would cover our “carbs” unit for the day. Being that we were in a bit of a rush to eat again after the intensity of the morning, I whipped together some teriyaki sauce to let the meat (chopped up chicken and sirloin steak) marinate in for about 30 minutes. While the meat was marinating, I prepared my Summer Salad, and then enjoyed some cheese and crackers with my guests.

They key to today’s meal was using everything I had in my fridge and combining old recipes with new ingredients to make a unique dish that suited my day’s needs.

Try this recipe for yourself and let me know what you think!

Teriyaki Kebabs

Ingredients:

1 red pepper

1 zucchini

1/2 onion

3 chicken cutlets

8-10 oz sirloin steak

Preparation:

Soak about a half a dozen grilling skewers in water for 5-10 minutes to keep them from catching fire on the grill (mind you, this is only if they are wooden like the ones I use). While the skewers are soaking, roughly chop up chicken and steak and place in the above-mentioned marinade for 20-40 minutes. Then, while the meat is marinating, coarsely chop up the onion and red pepper and stick the pieces onto skewers. Now, cut the zucchini in half, lengthwise and then chop into 1 inch chunks. Put the zucchini on their own skewers seeing as they may cook for a longer time than the onion and pepper. After the meat is finished marinating, place the steak and chicken on separate skewers.

Grilling:

Turn the grill on medium high heat. Place the skewers onto grill and then brush more marinade over each. Close grill cover and let cook for about 5 minutes. Then, intermittently check on the skewers and turn, each time adding more marinade. The pepper and onion will most likely cook faster than the meat and zucchini so watch them more carefully. After about 10-15 minutes it should all be finished (just be sure to turn and watch each skewer closely as they may all finish at different times). Remove the veggies and meat from the sticks and serve immediately on a serving tray!

Enjoy!

As I earlier divulged to my readers, avocados have many wonderful delicious uses in food and in our daily diets. These versatile fruits can add a creamy, buttery texture and flavor to most summer dishes. They are also great for the winter, as they provide the nutrients we need during those cold months while still feeling and tasting like a comfort food.

Some fun facts:

*They are filled with “good” fats and oils that keep our bodies strong without having too many calories or sticking to our systems.

*One thing to know about avocados is that one should be careful about eating them when they are ripe- not ripe enough and they are too hard to cut and have no flavor, and too ripe and they fall apart and go brown fast.

*They go brown when they are hit with oxygen, like apples. Don’t be alarmed if you have cut it open recently and see this; just shave away the brown part and enjoy the rest. Or, give it a stir if it’s a dip.

How to tell if an avocado is ripe:

Gently apply pressure to the sides of the avocado by lightly squeezing it. If there is a slight give, then it is ripe and ready to eat!

How to cut an avocado:

Hold the avocado in your hand so the stem faces upward and points away from your body. Take a small knife and cut down the center of the fruit lengthwise, starting at the stem, continuing until you have completed the circle and it is sliced in half. Now, hold both halves and twist them in opposite directions (clockwise and counter-clockwise). The halves should peel apart very easily. One side will have the seed left in it. I usually take a knife and chop down firmly, wedging the knife in the seed. I wiggle the knife until the whole seed comes loose, then shake off the seed into a compost or garbage unit. You can also try to squeeze out the seed if you want (I just think the other option is much more fun!).

Depending on whether you are using the avocado as a garnish or in a dip, choose your next step:

1) Dip- Scoop out the avocado from the skin using a spoon. Scrape out as much as you can, and don’t be too gentle because the skin is pretty tough.

2) Slice the avocado halves into slivers by running the knife long ways down the fruit in parallel lines. Then peel away skin, pull out the pieces and serve.

*** When I eat them alone I usually cut the avocado into slivers and serve with salt, pepper and either olive oil or lime juice on top. Enjoy it with crackers or toast.

Eat well and Enjoy!!!

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