I never cook by adding salt. I love to add pepper to my preparations, though.
I love spice- yet not too much spice. Just enough to give a satisfying flavor to my tastebuds.
I enjoy the mild hotness of pepper by not over-sprinkling the spice into my various dishes.
Aside from livening up food, pepper offers us a few great benefits that serve our health to the fullest.
If one is from the south, black-eyed peas may be a favorite staple.
I am a born and raised New Yorker, but my mother’s side of the family came from Virginia (My father’s side of the family who I did not grow up around are from South Carolina. My great-grandmother on my mother’s father’s side came from North Carolina).
I had plenty of that delicious variety of hearty southern rooted grub during childhood on up in my household.
I still love and eat black-eyed peas till this day.
These legumes are so quick to prepare compared to other beans and peas and they are very tasty.
Black-eyed peas naturally come with health benefits that impart adequate nutrition toward one’s lifestyle.
One of the downsides of eating peas and beans regularly is that it can cause a build-up of intestinal gas.
Nevertheless, over time some of our bodies learn to adapt and we experience less bloating and other discomfort.
I remember back in the day my mother’s family used to cook neck-bones with black eyed peas, oxtail with black-eyed peas and stew beef with black-eyed peas or potatoes.
I currently love and eat my black-eyed peas seasoned with pepper, onion, garlic, oregano and a little basil over rice.
I never cook with salt.
To me, the flavor of prepared dry black-eyed peas is good enough to go without any herbs or spices added to them.
Last night I colored my rice with curry powder, not too much, because I’m not fond of food too spicy, just enough to give my rice a nice yellow tint.
I added some rosemary, basil, and thyme, then boiled a separate pot of two chicken thighs lightly salted and peppered.
I like my chicken, shrimp, and fish once in a while as I predominantly eat vegan.
Last night I ate pollo pescetarian and I healthily enjoyed myself.
One can do so many things with potatoes.
They can be baked, fried, boiled, mashed and turned into a variety of scrumptious dishes to enjoy.
I just made some potatoes yesterday. I cut eight whole potatoes in half and placed them into a pot of water seasoned with onion, garlic, cumin, thyme, pepper, salt, oregano and parsley.
When they were done and the majority of water had boiled out of the pot I scooped them onto a plate and spread a plant-based butter made with olive oil over them and they came out fantastic. They were the texture of luscious baked potatoes, they had boiled perfectly.
My favorite of all potato dishes have and will always be French fries.
There is nothing like homemade fries cooked in sunflower oil. I peeled, cut up, and fried so many potatoes when I was younger that I knew which type of oil brought out the best taste within them above all the others.
I even fried and ate so many homemade French fries one night that my body had absorbed too much grease and my stomach felt like it was split in half. I’m so glad my mother knew exactly to give me an alka seltzer back then it had cured the problem almost immediately.
People that observed me, especially many within my work environment, have stated to me and others that “I eat very healthy”.
Even those who hadn’t been around me very long would mention and make reference to how I take care of myself.
It’s just the way I’ve always been at one time in my youth I had the desire to become a dietitian. My mother had even purchased a professional medical book on the subject to get me more informed and prepared if that was the field I decided to actually go into.
During my teenage years when my mother purchased my first Hamilton Beach juicer, not too long after, she bought me a book on juicing that included tons of detail and facts about fruits, vegetables, vitamins and how they utilize and how our constitutions benefit from them, and more.
My mother was always supportive and encouraging toward whatever I wanted to do.
Well-being is what’s in and it is delightful to point that out.
When I go to Whole Foods down at 59th Columbus Circle in Manhattan, New York that place is constantly packed with people spending a small fortune on a host of befitting items. And I have been shopping at Whole Foods from time to time for years now.
Yesterday, I had a great tasting meal of white rice and beans with a savory sauce.
I like to put my own creative ideas together.
Later today, before I head to work, I’m going to prepare and fix myself a few plates of thin spaghetti noodles dressed in onion, garlic, oregano, rosemary, basil, a little pepper, and olive oil.
Authentic Expression: LaToya's Health And Wellness Lifestyle Blog 