Finally... FOOD!

What many of you have been waiting and asking for... RECIPES! And I am excited to finally post some up. So here are a couple. With plenty more soon to follow.

Grilled Shrimp Pasta

20 min (or less)

1 lb shrimp, peeled & deveined

4 Tbs. grapeseed oil

(can also use olive, canola, your preference really)

1/2 pint grape seed tomatoes, washed & halved

2 tsp. Italian Seasoning

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. chives

(can also use scallions/ green onions)

Sea salt, to taste

8-10 large basil leaves, torn into pieces

whole wheat pasta

In a medium bowl combine shrimp, 3 Tbs of oil, tomatoes, Italian seasoning, garlic, chives & salt. Toss until everything is coated with oil and seasoning.

Boil water and cook pasta.

While pasta is boiling, Heat up a non-stick pan at medium heat. Once heated cook your shrimp mixture until they turn pink. About 5-7 min.

Once you shrimp are cooked add basil and last Tbs. of oil if there isn't enough 'sauce'. Stir. Allow basil to wilt while you drain pasta.

Place pasta and shrimp in a large enough bowl and stir until pasta is coated in oil and everything is evenly mixed.

Now for dessert...

Brown Rice Pudding

(easy peasy)

3/4 uncooked brown rice

(I use organic brown rice, but you can use any rice)

2 cups milk, divided

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 salt

1 egg, beaten

1 Tbs. powdered coconut

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt

1 Tbs. butter

1/2 tsp real vanilla extract

2 Tbs. shredded coconut (optional)

Cook your rice according to package directions.

In a medium sauce pan. combine cooked rice, 1 1/2 cups of milk, sugar, coconut powder, cinnamon & salt. Cook over medium heat until creamy. About 15 minutes.

Stir in 1/2 cup milk, egg & 2Tbs. of shredded coconut, stirring constantly. Cook about 2 min. more.

Remove from heat and add butter & vanilla. Serve warm.

If you like custard, you will really enjoy this dish. It was extremely yummy! I won't lie. The brown rice isn't mushy, but retains it's infamous brown rice firmness. I kept thinking "Man, this would be a stellar dessert if I had used sticky rice". BUT... it did hit the sweet spot for me and so I didn't want the crap later on and helped keep me fuller longer after supper too.

Brown Rice Lessons

So why the complex carbs? What makes them so much better for us other than the extra nutrients? Great question!!! I learned this recently and thought it great info. Definitely helps me with the brown rice switch. I never had a problem with whole wheat bread, but the brown rice was always a hard switch for me. But now that I understand the difference when I am eating it, it's not so hard after all.

When we eat the refined, processed white stuff, it digests way too quickly and your body absorbs those calories way too fast. With whole wheat and brown rice the digestion slows down, so you feel fuller longer, but not only that, your body takes it's time absorbing, first of all the nutrients. You know what happens when you take vitamins right? You get that bright, highlighter, neon yellow pee, because you got way more than your body needed at that time, so it took what it needed and expelled the rest. With our whole grains we are absorbing the nutrients slower so we are able to use them when we need them. Also we are getting them. The processed white stuff isn't good for much other than filling your tummy. The other thing is the calories. Not so much that you eat more calories one way or the other, but with the white choices because it digest so fast, less calories are burned by your digestive system. And also because you absorb those calories quickly, and if your body isn't burning them up then, yeah, it's gonna store it. What happens as well is the unused carbs turn into sugar. Married into the East Indian culture, I know it seems like may of the older generation is prone to getting diabetes. My assumption is it's not because of genes, but because of the large amounts of rice they eat with almost every meal, and especially at night. SO what has happened is all this rice has been eaten towards the end of the day and they aren't going to be used for fuel as one winds down at the end of a day and soon goes to bed, so these carbs are turned into sugar. Then on a deeper process the pancreas releases insulin to compensate for this high level of sugar it now has in the system, and eventually after a while of this the body becomes insulin resistant which is a precursor to, you got it, diabetes. Now this is my assumption, but it's logical.

Anyway. Always watch your intake. Eat in moderation and make healthy choices. Not only that but enjoy what you are eating, just don't do it at the sake of your health and life. Food shouldn't kill you, it should bring you life. It's how God intended it.

Let me know if you try the recipes, and how they turned out or any substitution/changes you make. Bon appetite!