Teriyaki Beef and Vegetable Bowl

There's something vaguely comforting about the taste of a teriyaki rice bowl. Maybe it's the slightly sweet sauce smothering steamed rice, or the fragrant smell, I love tucking into a warm bowl of teriyaki beef and rice whilst unwinding with a good inspirational movie or talk from one of my favourite pastors.

This Teriyaki Beef and Vegetable bowl builds on the frozen version so you can cut the preparation time and fast forward ahead to the relaxing part.

Ingredients:

2 Healthy Choice Beef Teriyaki Gourmet Steamers

1 large carrot

3 cups sliced cabbage

Preparation:

1. Peel and chop carrots into strips.

2. Wash and slice cabbage into strips.

3. Place vegetables into pot and add water (around 1-2 steamer bowls) and the sauce from the teriyaki steamers.

4. Boil till vegetables are tender before adding the rice and other ingredients from the steamer bowls. Turn off heat and let it continue cooking for 5 minutes. Ensure that everything is thoroughly heated before serving.

5. Serve and enjoy on your Lazy Lounge Sofa.

How to: Cut Tomatoes

Need tomatoes for a salad or sandwich?

Check out this cool trick for a faster way to cut tomatoes.

Easy Mushroom, Cabbage and Pork Rice

I love dried mushrooms. Some people have told me that it stinks but I love the strong aroma and flavour it adds to food. Soups, stews and rice taste heavenly with the addition of a few dried mushrooms.

They are also high in antioxidents and dietary fibers which help in managing weight by  increasing satiety and reducing appetite, making you feel fuller longer and therefore lowering your overall calorie intake.

Another amazing (and amazingly cheap!) power vegetable is the humble cabbage.

This ubiquitous vegetable is full of antioxidants that can help protect against breast, colon, and prostate cancers and reduce LDL or ‘bad cholesterol’ levels in the blood.

Cabbage is also rich in essential vitamins and minerals such as  vitamin K. Vitamin K promotes osteotropic activity leading to healthy bones. It also limits neuron damage in the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s disease.

This dish combines both vegetables and provides a hot, satisfying meal that’s ready in minutes.

Ingredients:

1 pack Uncle Ben’s Fast and Fancy Fine Herb Rice

2 cups cabbage

10 dried mushrooms

1 cup sliced pork or chicken

1/2 tsp butter or margarine

Preparation:

1. Soak dried mushrooms in water till soft. Cut into smaller pieces.

2. Wash and slice cabbage into pieces.

3. Slice pork or chicken into strips or cubes.

4. Put butter or margarine in pot and add cabbage, mushrooms, meat and rice and fry till fragrant.

5. Add seasoning and water according to directions on packet and bring to boil.

6. Lower heat and simmer for around 15 minutes till rice is cooked.

7. Serve, sit back and enjoy.

Need Help with Your Hydro Bill?

Having moved to Ontario from Calgary less than a year ago, I was stunned by the high hydro bills here. Electricity cost (or outages) were never an issue in Calgary and monthly bills were around 60+ for two people in a two bed, two bath apartment. I cooked almost everyday and baked or roasted something at least once a week. The tv was usually on and we used the in-suite clothes dryer several times a week. Fast forward to my first month in Ontario. I'd moved in in the middle of August. The weather was amazing, the apartment disgustingly filthy. I was too exhausted after scrubbing and washing and mopping to cook and it was too nice to stay indoors all day so I simply got takeaway everyday (cooked food is cheap were I live). I didn't even have a tv yet. As such, I was relaxed about the hydro bill as I thought it couldn't be more than 60. Big mistake. It came up to nearly $100 for 20 days. For one person. I freaked out. Since then, I've been just charging the prerequisite computer and mobile and each time there's only one light on. But as the weather gets colder, especially with the poor insulation apartments have here, I find myself wondering whether to turn on the heating. It sucks. I miss the heating in Calgary that worked with hot water pipes running through the walls. The place was never cold and it was not a drain cost-wise like the hydro powered central heating many apartments here use.

But I'm lucky in comparison to many others in Ontario. A few days ago I came across a news story about a family in Kingston who were living in darkness as they were unable to afford the spiraling hydro rates. Their bills had increased from $140 to nearly $400 in a span of six years whilst her salary had not seen the same increase. The single mother was forced to make a choice between groceries and hydro. Groceries won and Kingston Hydro efficiently disconnected their power. Ever wondered why utility companies seem efficient only when increasing costs and disconnecting services? It's mind boggling, isn't it?

If you're on a low income and struggling with hydro bills, have a look at the Ontario Electricity Support Program (OESP). If you're a single or family on a low income, you may qualify for a reduction of around $30-50 a month on your hydro bill. More information can be found by clicking on the link above.

Imitation Pho: Rice Noodles with Cabbage and Pork

I think one of the worst feelings in the world (on a mundane day to day basis) is coming home late and still having to cook. Thankfully, I now have the freedom to cook whatever I want without anyone whinging about it. I believe a weekday meal has to meet several requirements:

Fast? Check. Tasty? Check. Vegetables, meat and carbs? Check.

This light and speedy rice noodles meal ticks all the boxes necessary to qualify for a weekday meal. Minimal clean up or cooking and preparation time so you can spend your evening unwinding instead of slaving over the stove or sink.

Ingredients:

1 packet instant rice noodles

2 cups chopped cabbage

1 cup sliced pork (substitute with beef or chicken if desired)

Preparation:

1. Chop cabbage in pieces or strips.

2. Slice pork into thin slices.

3. Place pork and cabbage into a pot and cover with water. Bring to boil before reducing heat.

4. Add seasoning and simmer till cabbage is soft and cooked.

5. Pour into bowls and serve warm. 

How to Deal with That I-Ate-So-Much-I-Feel-Like-The-Stuffed-Turkey Feeling

Urgh, I’m never going to eat so much again! Till next time that is.

Why does it feel so bad when you overeat? It’s because your small intestines, stomach and abdominal muscles get stretched by the food, liquid, swallowed air, and gas. This stretching is what causes the discomfort.

Unfortunately, when the temptation to overeat gets too much or you’ve already passed that point, here are some ways to ease the pain.

1. Loosen your pants or change into a looser , more comfortable pair.

The less restricted you are, the less uncomfortable you’ll feel which will in turn reduce the stress on your digestive system.

2. Peppermint tea or coffee to the rescue!

Sipping on peppermint tea can help by relaxing the digestive track which allows you to burp any trapped air in your stomach, so that you don’t feel as bloated. Burping and passing gas stimulates your digestion by causing movements in the food in your stomach.

Coffee may help you, erm, move your bowels (poop). However, coffee can make tummy troubles even worse in people who are sensitive to it.

Do also avoid excessive drinking or overly hot or cold liquids.

3. Stay on your feet instead of lying down.

Lying down can put pressure on the stomach, causing stomach acid to enter your esophagus, triggering heartburn.

4. Try Over-the- Counter Medication if in pain.

Try an antacid like Maalox or Mylanta to reduce the extra acid production caused by overeating or Pepto-Bismol or Zantac, which can settle the stomach and sooth irritation caused by overindulging. Or, try an anti-gas drug like Gas-X, which neutralizes gas bubbles in your digestive tract to reduce bloating.

Perhaps the best way to avoid all the discomfort in the first place is to pace yourself and avoid drinking too much liquid if you are planning on eating a lot.

Regardless, may this Christmas be full of joy and blessings and lots and lots of delicious food!

Asian Pear Tea

When the weather is cold and dark, there's nothing better than curling up with a warm cup of fruit tea and some cookies.

One of my favourites is the Asian pear tea.

Ingredients:

1 Asian pear

Honey

Preparation:

1. Peel and cut pear into bite sized pieces.

2. Place in pot and fill with water.

3. Boil till fruit is soft.

4. Add honey to taste.

5. Drink warm or cold if preferred.