Bento-ing

I think that's a new word: Bento-ing. Maybe I should call it Bento-do, the art of bento. Nah, that's just stupid sounding. Anyways, I've been ill the last week, but that didn't stop me from cooking. I made bentos last night and figured I'd tell you about them, because I totally forgot to take pictures. Oops.

Anyways, they're all low calorie too, although I typically only focus on portion control and not calorie count.



In a 320 ml bento box i placed 3 Swedish meatballs from Ikea, 4 broccoli florets, and homemade Swiss mashed potatoes and a mini clementine orange.

The meatballs are premade and the broccoli was from one of those frozen steamer bags. I just rinsed the orange and stuck it in whole, but you could peel it beforehand if you wanted. The potatoes were way easy as well.



6-10 mini yellow fingerling potatoes, boiled in salted water 15 minutes, drained and mashed roughly with a fork. I dropped in a little butter, a little salt, a little milk, and 1 wedge of those spreadable swiss cheese packets from the Laughing Cow.



Top the whole meal with a 12 oz Ronnybrook Creamline milk and you're all set!

Sacha Inchi aka SaviSeed

So I picked up a little bag of these to test out. They claim to have one of the highest Omega 3 contents with 3500 mg/oz. They taste like macadamia nuts to me, and I'm not thrilled with the cocoa kissed 70% chocolate (that's probably just a bad choice on my part), but they aren't bad.



A bit of info from their site:

Not just your average seed, sacha inchi seeds are native to the Amazon rainforest and have been cultivated and consumed for centuries in Peru under the name 'Inca Peanut'. SaviSeeds are the fruit of sacha inchi plants, herbaceous vines that produce star-shaped green pods which yield edible seeds - SaviSeeds.

Also known as the Inca Peanut, sacha inchi’s scientific name is Plukenetia volubilis. Sacha inchi has been known by the natives of Peru and other indigenous peoples of the Amazon for centuries. Historians believe the plant has probably been used by the Incas over 3,000 years ago, which is evident from the interpretation of the plant on vessels in Incan tombs.

Sacha inchi has been used traditionally by communities in the Amazon in different meals, such as the inchicapi, a regional soup and as cooked seeds ground up in a sauce. The oil and roasted seeds are common ingredients in cities and towns throughout Peru’s jungle. It is also used externally by Peruvian people as a rejuvenating cream applied on the skin.



Growth:

Beneath the high peaks of the Peruvian Andes Mountains lie highland jungles filled with lush vegetation. Amid the many tropical plant species grow woody, twining vines bearing green pods and small seeds. These shrub-like vines are sacha inchi plants, the source of SaviSeeds. Cultivated in small plantation farms, they grow in rows to a height of 2-3 meters, supported by wooden posts.

-Sacha inchi plants thrive in high humidity, high sunlight exposure and heat.

-The sacha inchi fruit is a star shaped green pod, covered in 3 layers of shell - with each pod containing 3-7 seeds.

Harvest and Transport:

The first crop harvest comes just 7-8 months from the time of planting. After the first harvest, sacha inchi plants produce crops several times throughout the year, and depending on conditions, can produce for as long as ten years. When the sacha inchi pods are ready to pick, they make cracking sounds and turn from green to brown in color. Teams working in fields then pick the star shaped pods from the plants and place into baskets. After being picked, the pods are placed on drying beds (long tables with wire mesh), where they dry in the warm sunshine until the seeds are exposed.

From there, the pods are pressed, removing layers to get to the seed. Once removed, seeds are put into sacks and stored. When sacha inchi farmers have a large enough volume of seeds stored, it’s time to bring them to market. The sacks of seed are transported from the farmer’s land by cart to Lima, and then imported into Canada.

Nutritional Info:

Total Nutrients

SaviSeeds are rich in nutrients - making them a healthy but indulgent snack. Here's why they are called a superfood:

Omega 3

Sacha inchi seeds are the richest source of Omega 3 on the planet! At 7000mg of heart-healthy Omega 3 per one ounce serving, they offer 13 times more Omega 3 than an ounce of wild salmon - without having to deal with unpleasant fishy flavors and aftertastes!

Protein

SaviSeeds are an exceptional source of plant-based protein with 8 grams of protein per ounce – more than most nuts and seeds. SaviSeed is a complete protein source which is rich in both essential and non-essential amino acids. This highly digestible protein is very useful in tissue regeneration and muscle development, and it’s easily digestible… no irritation, gas, or acidity.

Tryptophan

This ancient food source is also a particularly abundant source of tryptophan, an amino acid that can help promote a positive mood – containing about 29 mg of tryptophan per gram of protein, which is more than 8 times higher than roasted turkey.

Antioxidants

Sacha inchi seeds have a high concentration of powerful natural antioxidants like Vitamin E, which helps to ward off cardiovascular disease and cancer by protecting cells from the damaging effects of free radicals.

Gluten-free

All those with gluten intolerances and allergies can also enjoy this nutritious and yummy snack! SaviSeeds are tested and approved to meet international guidelines for gluten free status.

Fiber

A mere one ounce serving of SaviSeed will easily provide you with 5 grams of dietary fiber, which is 20% of recommended daily intake.

Certified Organic

SaviSeeds are organically certified by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), meaning that no chemical fertilizers, synthetic pesticides or herbicides are used during production. Precautions are taken even during transportation and storage to avoid cross contamination between organic sacha inchi and any crops that may not be organic.

Omega 3:

SaviSeeds are the richest source of Omega 3 on the planet!At 7000mg of heart-healthy Omega 3 per one ounce serving, they offer 13 times more Omega 3 than an ounce of wild salmon - and with SaviSeeds, you’ll have no fishy aftertaste!

Since Omega 3 is not naturally produced by the body, it’s essential to consume Omega 3 rich foods like SaviSeed to reduce inflammation and promote heart, joint and mental health , and even help to prevent cancer and disease.

Not only are SaviSeeds amazingly rich in Omega 3, they also contain Omega 6 and 9 in an optimally balanced ratio. Modern day diets have significantly raised levels of Omega 6, as it is found in grains, poultry and eggs. Consuming foods like SaviSeed with higher levels of Omega 3 will balance fatty acid ratios for optimum health.

So how does SaviSeed compare to other commonly known sources of Omega 3? This chart is a great reference - comparing SaviSeed to seeds, nuts and fish! As you can see below, one ounce of Oh Natural SaviSeeds contain 7000 mg of Omega 3 which exceeds even flax seeds’ 6400 mg. While the numbers are close, SaviSeeds are far easier to consume as they don’t require grinding to access nutrients and are far more snackable!

	SEEDS				NUTS			FISH
1 ounce of...	SaviSeed	Chia	Flax	Hemp	Almonds	Walnuts	Pecans	Salmon	Herring	Mackerel
Calories	190	137	150	160	161	173	193	40	45	57
Fat (g)	15	9	12	13	14	17	20	2	3	4
Protein (g)	8	4	5	10	6	7	3	6	5	5
Omega 3 (mg)	7000	4915	6388	2400	2	2542	276	565	488	748
Fiber (g)	5	11	8	2	3	2	3	0	0	0

Banana-Pumpkin Pie Bread

I've got a very ripe banana sitting in my fridge just waiting for this...

1 cup sugar
4 ounces butter
2 eggs
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup pumpkin (canned)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Butter and flour a loaf pan or a jumbo muffin tin (holds 9 muffins).

2. In a mixing bowl, cream together the sugar and the butter. One at a time, add the eggs. Add the bananas and pumpkin. Mix until everything is well combined.

3. In a second bowl, sift together the baking soda, salt, four and spice. Mix the moist ingredients into the dry ingredients. Pour the batter into the loaf pan or muffin tins. Bake in the oven one hour to 1 hour 12 minutes. Cover with aluminum foil if/when turns brownish. Done when toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

4. (NOTE: If wish to just make banana bread, omit the pumpkin, add one additional banana, omit the spice, follow directions as is).

Sunday cooking marathon

Well, Sunday is typically my cooking marathon. It's when I make up a bunch of meals for our lunches for the week. This weekend I made the normal spaghetti as well as teriyaki chicken legs and seafood chowder and for dinner made a ginger sesame pork with rice and broccoli.



I simply place my homemade teriyaki sauce and the chicken in a slow cooking over for about 1.5-2 hours, depending on if the chicken is frozen or defrosted.



This sauce is super easy too, just add ground beef and mushrooms to your favorite sauce, crumble in some dried oregano and bay and your good to go.



The soup took a bit more effort, but not much.

Brown three pieces of bacon, add 2 cups of chopped potato 2 cups of water, Seasoning (salt, pepper, celery seed, or Everglades seasoning, etc.), bring to a biol, reduce to simmer, add 3 cups milk. Add can of clams + juice (strain to get rid of any grit), hand full of cleaned shrimp, and package of imitation crab rough chopped. Add a flour and water slurry (4 tbs flour + 2 tbs water or so). Simmer until potatoes are cooked through and soup has slightly thickened.

Low Calorie Diet

So, my mother is on this low calorie diet for the next few weeks and to assist her in still eating food that tastes decent, I'm going to post a few recipes that are big in flavor, but not calories. A thing to note is if you marinate or cook your primary food (meat or veg) in sauce you get the flavor without imparting too many of the calories, as long as you don't serve the sauce poured over the item once you're ready to eat.

Ex. 1: Teriyaki Chicken Sandwich



I have a homemade teriyaki sauce I made and placed chicken drumsticks in with the sauce and cooked it for 1.5 hours on 200F and then pulled the meat off and put it in mini croissants for sandwiches. Have it with carrot and celery sticks or the marinated cucumber salad shown here and you have a very flavorful light meal.

Ex. 2: Smoked Salmon Tea Sandwich



I have a lot of mini croissants at home right now, so you're going to see them in a few of these recipes, but any bread will work, or bypass the bread and stick this on a bed of rocket (arugula) or fresh spinach. There are a few ingredients you may not have heard of before and they are optional, but are worth it if you have an Ikea around you to pick up for $3.99 each (can't beat that):



Seaweed Topping



Herring Roe



Quark

So, easy peasy to make, just slice the bread, smear a bit of quark (you don't need a lot) on both sides, slice thin rounds of cucumbers and add, layer a little bit of smoked salmon, a dollop of the seaweed or roe, some rocket and (if you want total decadence) a slice of crispy bacon. Yum Yum. You can toss on some capers should you not want to try the seaweed or roe, it'll give you the same briny taste.

I'll think of some more and post a bit later. I've got some new foods to try from DHC (a make-up place ironically) so one I make those I'll post. I'm thinking Icelandic Lamb with the Currant and Pumpkin Seed Toasted Pasta and Swedish Prawns in a White Wine Garlic Sauce over Spaghetti. Yummy.