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.
I had white rice and corn last night for dinner. I love rice and corn!
I sautéed the corn in a lovely sweet and tangy dressing before covering it over the rice. Corn tastes so good mixed in with rice; peas, beans, and broccoli also go delectably well with all types of rice.
Vegetables bring out the best in rice and I don’t normally eat my rice cooked with salt either. The vegetables themselves usually give my rice its own nice complimentary flavor.
Vegetables bring out the best in many other dishes too.
Vegan/vegetarian lasagna is also an inviting meal that could include broccoli and whatever other vegetables of choice that may add to a fabulous dinner. Lasagna pasta crafted and baked with broccoli, shrimp, and vegan cheese is another great idea for the ever-tempting appetite!
Some individuals even like spinach or numerous other types and blends of vegetables and/or tidbits in their vegan or vegetarian lasagnas.
Grains, pastas and vegetables are such great combination foods when designed together effectively.
Last night I prepared white rice and breaded shrimp for dinner. I boiled my rice to a nice firm texture and I baked my shrimp to a nice firm juicy crisp.
Over my rice I drenched a tasty marinade consisting of lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, oregano, basil and spices.
It was one of those meals that once in a while come out just perfect, and I enjoyed every bite until I had gotten full.
I cooked and ate three plates of yellow rice that I prepared earlier this afternoon.
I colored white rice naturally with turmeric spice. I added oregano, cumin, thyme, parsley, garlic, onion and plant butter to boil along with the rice to give it a flavor.
I didn’t put in any salt as some may prefer.
The yellow rice came out nice to my liking I love all kinds of rice anyway, even plain white rice. Brown rice tastes good too if seasoned and crafted well.
Next time I am going to mix some vegetables along with the dish. Green peas, corn, and broccoli taste great mixed with yellow rice and rice pilaf.
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.
Of course, one can’t always judge a book by its cover though I usually have a good eye and judgement for what is of quality.
As living the life of a vegan or vegetarian at times gets quite expensive I often catch and look out for sales.
There was some Vermont Bread Company brand english muffins that are constantly priced at $5.00 for two packs at one of my local Stop and Shops.
I had never purchased or ate any of the Vermont company breads and would pass up on their items. About three weeks ago, I had a relative shop with me and convinced me to try out the English muffins due to the price of five dollars for each that were six in a pack.
I only relented because it’s hard to commonly find vegan non gmo breads unless you’re at a store which specializes in those type of products.
So she bought two packs, one whole wheat and one white, I bought two whole wheats.
Those muffins stayed inside my fridge for two weeks before I went to open them up. I was hesitant as something within me just didn’t have a desire or attraction for them. If they had have been Dave’s Killer Muffins I would have been all over them the instant I brought them home.
On the day I finally decided to give the Vermont whole wheat English muffins a go I dolled them up with some herbs and olive oil and when I put them inside the toaster oven to heat they gave off an unpleasant smell which stunk.
I was even more hesitant to eat these muffins after that. After I took two or three bites of those disgusting english muffins I threw them into the trash.
I read reviews (which, of course, is not wise to always go by) about how good the Vermont Bread Company english muffins were even though I personally doubted I’d like them from the way they had appeared. I honestly don’t know what those people were talking about maybe they were paid to post that shit.
They’re always 2 for $5 for a reason.
Sometimes one has to pay a little extra for the good stuff when it’s not running a course of a discount.
I was so happy to recently get my usual Dave’s Killer Bread organic classic english muffins that smell and taste so good I even bought my relative a pack and she loved them and agreed that they were much better than that nasty tasting Vermont shit.
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.
Dave’s killer bread products are one of the healthiest on the market and the only primary bread that I purchase for myself.
There is also an interesting back story about how Dave’s Killer Bread developed.
The breads are organic, whole grain, vegan, and non gmo project verified.
I love the classic organic whole grain english muffins and organic whole grain plain bagels.
When I prepare my muffins I split them, sprinkle garlic, onion, oregano and rosemary on them, drip olive oil on them and toast them in the toaster oven!
Authentic Expression: LaToya's Health And Wellness Lifestyle Blog 