It's a saying that is very common in my family that means "full belly, happy heart" in Spanish. Good old Cuban Catholic guilt aside, I do take food for granted...that it is plentiful, that it satisfies my craving and that it is accessible.
I have been giving some thought to my poor choices and to the idea of eating less meat. A lot less. I have been vegetarian and pescatarian before but never stuck to it. My heart and "barriga" always want the foods I grew up with, what I saw my mom and abuela make, which always included meat. But why do I think in polarized terms? Why can't I eat what I want but with precaution, with care, with mindfulness? Instead of eating large portions of starchy and heavy foods, try to eat less of them and savor them slowly.
I was lucky that my mom loved vegetables and fruits and that I inherited that love. So this morning, as I watched an adorable New York squirrel bury a huge piece of Italian bread in an empty pot on my deck, I got moving. I started the day with banana pancakes that contained only two other ingredients: eggs and peanut butter powder. Even though I drizzled a little maple syrup over them. they weren't as sweet as I expected them to taste. My coffee had a teaspoon of sugar so that helped a bit.
For lunch (pictured above), canned salmon with diced red onion and fresh lemon juice on a bed of red cabbage and colorful sliced peppers, gourmet tomatoes on the side, dressing of extra virgin olive oil, minced garlic and white vinegar. Not pictured is a small sweet potato I baked. However, I was still craving sweet so put out clementines and some cherries to share with my daughter. An espresso ended the meal. My mid afternoon snack was an apple drizzled with raw honey. I think I am seeing a pattern here!
Finally, dinner was the most satisfying. I only had to sauté the steamed green beans in EVOO with sliced garlic and sprinkle with lemon juice and Kosher salt. The pièce de résistance was leftover frijoles colorados (red beans) over white rice. This mostly meatless combination (the beans did have a little Spanish chorizo in it) combined with the green beans was spectacular! Savory, earthy, salty, tangy, smoky, I could go on and on. My "corazón" was very "contento".
Now for a reality check.
I wound up eating a big (okay extra big) chocolate chip cookie and about 4 oz of oat milk for dessert. Pattern. There it is. Uh-gain. SUGAR.
Well, I had been suspecting that I have a sugar addiction for a while now but I have always considered myself a salt person so what happened?
We all seem to be addicted to sugar but we don't realize it. It is in most of our daily American diet. Even the "sugar free" stuff and drinks. Oh boy, the drinks.
Tomorrow, I will be out in the first half of the day. I don't have a plan for my meals yet and I need to go grocery shopping. Recipe for disaster? Maybe. Stay tuned.
Disclaimer: I have summers off because I teach, so I had TIME and ENERGY to make these dishes. Part of what I am trying to do here is document my own journey: the failures, the successes, the mistakes and the good choices, in other words, everything that is REAL in my life. Being genuine and honest but mostly, being a human being that likes to learn and share it with others.
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