Friday, October 22, 2010

What's cookin'?

Doing doubles everyday at Teacher Training requires a healthy and plentiful diet. Each Bikram Yoga class burns between 600 and 1,000 calories, which gives me a license to EAT, EAT, EAT! Many trainees lose their appetite, but that hasn't happened to me. Instead, this self-proclaimed foodie has become even more food obsessed. When I'm in the hot tent, I fantasize about what I'll eat after class and many of my dreams at night are food related. I simply can't eat enough!

While I LOVE TO EAT, I don't care much for cooking. At home I eat many of my meals out, but that's changed since I arrived here. Since food wasn't included as part of the tuition and I'm trying to stick to a budget, I've discovered the joy of cooking... in a hotel room.

Our suites are equipped with a tiny fridge, which every week I manage to fill beyond capacity. I've also bought several small appliances -- George Foreman grill, kettle, rice cooker. Below are some of the meals I've prepared.
Grilled chicken breast with a side of couscous.
Grilled salmon burger topped with avocado and salsa.
Brown rice with tomato, avocado, seaweed, and egg, with a soy sauce glaze.
Grilled chicken burger, avocado, rice.
Smoked turkey and cheddar cheese wraps -- a typical lunch.
In between meals, I'm constantly snacking on trail mix, energy bars, dried fruit, fresh fruit, and chocolate -- lots and lots of chocolate. The eating truly never ends!

Would love to hear your suggestions for other meal options I can prepare. I still have four weeks of Teacher Training to go!

10 comments:

  1. That salmon burger pretty much looks... amazing.

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  2. WOW Chrissy! Congrats on this whole new venture you're on... I think it's commendable.
    I've noticed that there is hardly any bread or wheat in your diet -- any particular reason?
    I'd recommend you get a wok or a wok like pan and also include some stir frys which as you know are very healthy, but most importantly take VERY little time to make...
    And btw, hats off to you for your new found love for cooking!
    Hugs,
    M.

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  3. @Mariano: I'm living out of a hotel room for 2 months that does NOT have a kitchen, so a wok is out of the question. All of these meals were made using a rice cooker, George Foreman Grill, and/or kettle.

    I do eat bagels and lots of wraps, so I'm getting my wheat there. Also, lots of rice and couscous, so the carbs aren't lacking.

    Thanks for commenting!

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  4. cheers on week 5!

    for some protein, try a bean salad. mix chickpeas, beans (any kind), onions, cilantro or parsley or dill, squeeze of lime or lemon, and a dash of sea salt and black pepper.

    since you're in a hotel room, you can use scissors to cut green onions and cilantro and canned beans are already cooked (just don't forget to rinse them well). if you are able to cut veggies, you can dice up some bell peppers for some vitamin C.

    to make it even heartier, you can add quinoa, couscous, or barley.

    hope that doesn't sound too weird, lol. but it's good, i promise :)

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  5. oh and for something sweet, you can spread some Nutella (if you like that) and peanut butter on a tortilla, sprinkle some cinnamon (if you have), roll it up like a yoga mat and enjoy. bananas are welcome too.

    some other pairings: honey and peanut butter, Nutella and strawberries, good ol' PB&J, etc.

    you can make a few and put them in a ziploc bag to snack on during those uhm, movies. much better than candy bars :s

    ok i'll stop talking about food now. hehe.

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  6. @Lala: Awesome suggestions! You are so creative. Can't wait till I get back home. With you living so close, I'll never go without great food ideas again!

    Thanks for the inspiration!

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  7. i'll have to remember to bring a rice cooker and george foreman and kettle when it's my turn for BKTT next fall. these are all excellent ideas. you'll be all ready to be a regualr chef when you return home. cooking in a hotel room must be one of the hardest aspects of TT. hahaha. hope you're having fun! thanks for the updates. keep em coming!

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  8. This all looks so delicious!!!!!

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  9. Well done cooking such nice food with limited resources! How one earth do the people sharing a room go with such a small fridge? Or do they get one each?

    My suggestion to spice up your rice. If you can cook some veggies in with the rice put in mushrooms, zucchini, peppers, brocolli, anything you like. Then mix in a can of chopped tomatoes or tomato paste, season or spice to liking. Add grilled chicken or fish, sprinkle with cheese & enjoy hot or cold!!

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  10. Wow I can't believe your making those meals with a George Foreman grill and rice cooker!! I plan on attending TT in the Spring...I'm going to have to keep all of this in mind!!

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