Baked Butternut Squash Salad

 Man this salad was so good! I remember growing up I used to hate butternut squash for some weird reason. If my mum made it, I would make something else for myself to eat. Then I think one day I had butternut squash soup and my world was changed forever (exaggeration much?!!)

I bought the ingredients to this recipe fresh from the market near my house. That weekend, I also went exploring around Amsterdam. You can watch video of my weekend here.

This recipe is a good classic baked vegetable classic in salad form. Its so simple to make (I try to keep my recipes that way), but its also so tasty (I also like to make sure of that too :D ).

Serves: 2 (or 1 hungry person. No judgement here :D )

• 350 grams cubed butternut squash
• 130 grams green beans
• 1 small red onion
• 1 medium/large carrot
• 200 grams eggplant (optional)*
• 1-2 handfuls of your favorite garden greens.
• 1-2 tbsp olive oil
• Spices of choice(I used black pepper and basil)
• 2 tbsp dried goji berry mix (or any dried fruit) (optional)*
• 2 tbsp almonds (optional)*

Wash all your veggies clean
Preheat oven to 425F/220C/7 gas mark
Peel and Chop the butternut squash and carrot (and eggplant*) into small cubes
Slice the onion into half rings
Cut the green beans in half and remove the stems
Mix all the vegetables in a bowl with the olive oil and spices
Tumble the vegetables on a foil covered baking sheet. Try not to crowd them.
Bake for 30-35 minutes. Turning them once and rotating the pan once until golden brown. (Keep an eye on it!)
Prepare the lettuce. Toss on the veggies and mix in the almonds* and goji berry mix*
Serve.

I forgot to shop up my eggplant to put in the oven to roast with the rest. But it was still good regardless.

Let me know if you try it out. Or if you have suggestions of what else you would add in this.

Enjoy!

Xx

Rati :)

Cauliflower Bread Buns

Lately I have really fallen in love with CAULIFLOWER! Which is so funny because I used to hate it so much. There was something about its look and taste that just made me feel and think YUCK! But what is even funnier is that I absolutely love broccoli. It always confused me how I could love one and hate the other of two very similar looking vegetables.

Somehow I got past my disgust and decided to explore cooking with the vegetable. I firmly believe every fruit and vegetable tastes good if you prepare it the right way. The past few weeks I began exploring different recipes with cauliflower. I found that my two most favorite so far have been Cauliflower Bread Buns and Cauliflower rice. MMmmmh, just talking about this is making me so hungry! I got the inspiration for the cauliflower bread buns recipe from Live Right, Be Healthy. You should check out her blog, she has some really good recipes.

As with most of my recipes, this is really simple and easy to make. The most "annoying" part would be the grating of the cauliflower. But after that its all super easy.

Yields 6 Bread Buns
What you will need:

• 1/2 Large Cauliflower Head
• 3 tbsp Rolled Oats
• 1 tbsp Whole Wheat Flour
• 2 eggs
• 1-2 Garlic Cloves
• 1 tsp dry parsley
• 1 tsp dry basil
• Pinch of Salt and Pepper
• 1 tbsp Pumpkin Seeds (Optional)
• 2-3 tbsp goat cheese/mozzarella (cut or grated) (Optional)

For Golden brown touch:

• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil

How to make it:

1. Preheat the oven at 200°C/400°F.
2. Grate the cauliflower. Use only the florets of the cauliflower and not too much of the stalk. You can grate using either a grater, food processor, or bit by bit with a blender.
3. Combine the grated Cauliflower with all the ingredients. Mix it well.
4. Line your baking tray with parchment paper and very very lightly grease it.
5. Form 6 beautiful flat rounds of the mix on the prepared baking tray. And Place in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until your buns look like they are not full of moisture.
6. Whilst in the oven. Mix together the 1 egg and tablespoon of olive oil.
7. When you buns are baked to the point were they are not full of moisture; Brush the egg and olive oil mixture on top and bake for another 5 minutes or until golden brown.
8. When your buns are ready. Remove them from the baking tray and allow them to cool on a cooling rack. This step is very important so that they don't get mushy.

You can store these in the fridge for several days or cook a large batch and store in the freezer.

I like to use these Bread Buns as a side with my salad, soup, or for my veggie burgers. It's so so yummy! I hope you enjoy it. Its a nice healthy alternative to bread just to mix things up sometimes ;).

Let me know how you like it :)

Also if you have Instagram, follow me @SomekindofConcoction

And if you like this recipe comment and share it to let me know ;).

Thank you!

Xx

Rati

No Gym, No Problem: Part 2

How was Week 1 of "No Gym, No Problem"? Did you manage to keep up and workout three times a week? How do you feel?

I hope you've been keeping up. This whole process of becoming more active takes your effort, your dedication and your determination. You have to want this for yourself. You have to want it more than just having a great body. You have to want this for yourself. Working out is the one thing you can do for yourself that can be entirely just for you. But YOU have to do it! No excuse is good enough to allow yourself by not taking care of yourself.

This week, I challenge you to evaluate your life and see what things you have given a high value. The things you value the most are the things you make time for. Nobody ever has time. YOU MAKE time! I am going to challenge myself this week by budgeting my time. I will use sticky notes and record how I use each waking hour. I will literally log my time. Each sticky note will represent a high currency of an hour. My budget is the hours I am awake. At the end of the week, I will look back on my time log and see what things I am giving great value. I will review how well my budget is. This will give me the platform to make re-evaluate and reorganize my life so that I can get the maximum value out of every second. This week, time is money.

Here's the workout for this week:

DO THIS AT LEAST 3 TIMES THIS WEEK. 

Record your time each session.

Here are  video links on how to perform each exercise:

• Burpee: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLTo-V6RgiE
• Mountain Climbers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyeZM-_VnRc
• Ab crunch and twist: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lEKIInCo2o
• 20 high knees: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZZoCNMU48U
• Oblique crunch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0be5avh6gO8

This a Cardio Blaster. It is simple and effective. Give it your maximum effort. The more effort you put, the more you burn.

If you want an added challenge. After the circuit go out for a fast 12 minute run/walk. Record your distance and time.

Let me know how it goes.

Any questions?
Feel free to ask :)

Goodluck!

Xx

Rati

No Gym, No Problem: Part 1

So when you hear the word "exercise" what is the first thing that pops in your head? Torture? discomfort? Sweat? Fear? Happiness? or do you simply cringe and shove the thought of exercise some where far, far away in the depths of your mind? 

It is interesting when I look at how some people extremely love exercising and the simple thought of breaking a sweat makes them smile uncontrollably. Whilst on the opposite side of the spectrum, the thought of exercise makes them feel immediately self-conscious, fearful and uncomfortable for a many reasons.

Exercise is absolutely beneficial for you. I know that most of the time, people associate exercise with an intention of losing weight. And although a lot of people do use exercise for weight-loss  and general improvement of their physique; the benefits and necessity of exercise are far beyond those basic reasons.

Your body is designed to move. You do not have to be a top class athlete. Just move. There are a million benefits for purposely including exercise as an integral part of your lifestyle.

The greatest thing about exercising is that you only need your body and a set of comfortable clothes and shoes and you are set. 

No you do not need a gym membership.

No you do not need fancy equipment.
No, you do not need to have fancy workout clothes.
No you do not need to look like a top model to start.

No, you do not wait until you feel like it.

Although all these things are nice if we had them available, we do not need them to have a great workout.

So to make exercise easy on all of you and to show you how easy it is to slot it in, I will start the "No Gym, No Problem" Fitness Series. In these series, I will post workouts and fitness tips.

Note that this is not about weight-loss but about good health. If you lose a couple of pounds exercising then that's great. If not, then its still great. You are doing your body right by keeping it well.

Below is the very first, workout of the No Gym, No Problem series.

You do not need weights or any fancy equipment.

Just you and your willingness to move.
You can start today. Yes, right now.
Go change into your workout clothes. Put on awesome music and MOVE!
This workout will get you sweating, but feeling good.
It works your whole body, from your legs, bottom, abs and good old cardio.

TIP 1: Do it as fast as you can with maximum effort for the greatest results.

TIP 2: Do it at your own pace. If you can only manage one set. Then do one set and go for the run. Then work on slowly building it up to doing all the sets.

I CHALLENGE YOU: Do this workout three times in the next seven days. If you don't have time to do it all at one go, then break it up into two workouts. One half in the morning and another half in the evening. Measure the time of your 4 sets and note the distance you cover in 12 minutes each time. 

Good Luck!

I want to hear your updates.

The next challenge will be up next week Wednesday.

Xx

Rati

Spicy Zucchini "Pasta"

This is such yummy goodness, I cannot even fully describe or explain how good it is. The best part is... it is so EASY and QUICK to make. I had it last night for dinner and my taste-buds and tummy were thanking me.  

Zucchini is usually one of my vegetable staples, so I thought, "Why not make some Zucchini pasta!".
And I did.
And it was epic.

The thing that really makes this recipe so great is the sauce that you mix it with. I was feeling creative so I just experimented with the ingredients and spices that I had at home and it turned out quite fantastic.

So without any further delay, here is the recipe:

Equipment:

• Blender
• Vegetable Spiralizer (I got mine quite cheap on ebay. The one I use is a small hand held tool. You can buy it here.)
•  Knife and Cutting Board

Ingredients for "Pasta":

• 2-3 medium zucchinis
• 1/4 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 can of garbanzo beans (or 1/2 cup cooked garbanzo beans)
• 3 chopped long stalks of celery

Ingredients in the Sauce:

• 1 small red beet
• 1/2 large persimmon (or 1 medium peach)
•  Chili peppers (put as much as you want for the spiciness you desire) 
• 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric (or curry)
• 250 grams of ripe cherry tomatoes (or 1 medium ripe tomato)
• 4 juicy dates (optional. Also note that if the dates you have are a bit dry, soak them in water for some time to soften them)
• 1/4 cup of water. (Eye the amount of water according to the blender contents. Add or decrease the amount of water to ensure a good thick saucy consistency)
• 1/2 red onion (or normal onion)
• 1 - 2 garlic cloves

Recipe for "Pasta:

1. Spiralize the zucchinis
2. Mix in the chopped vegetables and set the plate/bowl aside

Recipe for Sauce:

1. Chop the red beet and persimmon.
2. Place all the sauce ingredients into the blender.
3. Blend all the ingredients together. remember to start out with a bit of water and keep adding until you reach the desired thick, saucy consistency.
4. Pour the sauce all over your pasta.
5. Mix it all together and leave it for about 10-15 minutes for all the flavors to mix and the zucchini to soften a bit.
6. Eat it all up

Serves: 1 person

Trust me, this pasta is really so yummy. It is a great way to replace actual pasta. The ingredients are almost all raw. Due to the fact that we use mostly natural foods, you will find that you can eat a whole big bowl of "pasta" and feel full and satisfied without the guilt of eating actual pasta. 

This meal is great for both dinner and lunch.

I will definitely be experimenting with different kinds of sauces for the Zucchini Pasta and I will share with you the yummy concoctions I come up with.

I hope the new year has started up great for all of you.

Enjoy.

Xx

Rati :)

Half-Marathon Training: Any Idiot Can Run

I must say that, that is a very beautiful quote. I think, to a lot of people, running a half-marathon,or even running at all when there is nothing chasing you, is simply an idiot's idea of... FUN?!! I tell people I am training and some say: "Awesome!" and they really mean it, whilst others say: "Uhm... awesome?... Why? Is it for a cause?"

And though it is nice for those who have the opportunity to run for a cause, however, for me, I run because I like it. No, wait, correction... I run because I LOVE IT!

There is really no way to explain the joy and exhilaration that comes from running. You fall in love with the rhythm of your feet.
The sound of your breathing.
The movement.
The release.

Its an amazing feeling.

Sometimes the runs hurt and take more effort.
Other times the runs are all a beautiful experience.
But all the time, at the end of a run, I always feel a wonderful sense of release, happiness, confidence and accomplishment.

Yes, to me, running is fun!

I run in the rain. I run in the snow. I push through the wind and sweat it out in the scorching sun.

Of course if you are a new runner... your runs, at first, may feel more like a session of torture. But as you build your endurance and find your stride, running sessions become a strange and beautiful kind of pleasure.

So, I signed p to run the Den Hague ABN AMRO Half-Marathon on the 10th of March 2012. I am currently in week 3 of official training and its going real great.

Week1 and Week 2 were really good. They are all distances I am comfortable with running but, I think from week4, the long run distances will become a bit more of a challenge. In week 1, the run was supposed to be 4.4miles. But, well, i didn't "empty the tank" before heading out and I was feeling horrible by the first mile, I had to turn back. *Blush*

Note-To-Self: ALWAYS empty the tank before a run.

haha!

oh and also I ran my fastest km of 5:50 on thursday. YAY!

I hope everyone is doing great and that you are enjoying 2013 so far.
I definitely am :).

Below you can see my training schedule from week 1 and week 2.

61 MORE DAYS!!

Have a great start of the week.

Xx

Rati

Fitness: Early Morning Inspirations

A few weeks ago I went for an early morning run. It was a day after it had snowed quite a lot and it was just so beautiful out. It was still dark, but I absolutely love running when its still dark.

The streets are empty.
The road is yours.
Its just you.

So, of course,  the run was great! I went for about an hour. I ran about 9km/5.5m at a nice easy pace. I just felt so good. Then it got me thinking, "I think I am about ready to start training and running for a half-marathon". And so that's what I did... I am officially registered to run The Hague, ABN AMRO Half-Marathon on March 10, 2013.

SOOOO EXCITED!
and nervous.
but more excited!

It has always been a dream of mine to run a marathon, but it has always felt so far off and too hard. So I just set the dream aside. Then in December of 2011, I decided to a set small goal and I signed up to run my first 10km race on the 18th of March of 2012 at the Limassol Marathon. I was as excited as I am now about the half-marathon, but I was definitely MUCH more nervous about it. I trained, and I had good weeks and bad weeks of training. But on March 18th, 2012, I ran my very first 10km race and I fell in love with the racing atmosphere, adrenaline and camaraderie among runners. The whole day was just good vibes.

But after that 10km race, I sort of felt I was done with training specifically for running. I wanted to focus more on general fitness. Which I did. I started weightlifting and I absolutely love it. I experimented with other sports like rock climbing and hiking. I experimented with all sorts of fitness, which I enjoyed very much.

I needed to give myself this change to challenge my body in new ways of fitness, but I would always go back to running. There really is nothing like the run. You catch the rhythm of your feet and push yourself mentally and physically beyond where you thought you could possibly go.

And so.. here I am, once again registered to another race. This time the race is a half-marathon. I am currently in week one of training and it is going really great. I will keep you updated.

My dream of running a marathon just feels so much closer. It can be a reality and it feels good!

I am so happy and prod of myself at how far I have come.

I am a runner and I love it!

xX

Rati

Black Bean Burger

Simply put, I love food.
Not all food.
I love good, wholesome, healthy, unprocessed food.
I love exploring new flavors and tastes.
And I love doing it the healthy way.

I am not a vegan or vegetarian. But I really really love and eat so many veggies.
I do enjoy a good steak or grilled chicken. But I feel there are more flavors and recipes and tastes to explore outside of meat.

Yesterday I made my very first Black Bean Veggie burger... SOOO GOOOD!!!
It smelt so good and I was so hungry so I took bite out of the pattie on the right just before I snapped a shot :D haha!

This whole meal is simple and easy to make. I have the recipe for you below.
It is both light and very filling.

Ingredients:

1 can of Black Beans (or Chickpeas or cook your own beans)
1 handful of diced mushrooms (whatever kind you like the most)
1/2 red onion diced (any kind onion will do really)
3 garlic cloves finely chopped(add more or less according to how much you like your garlic )
1/2 diced green pepper
2 tablespoons of sweet corn
1 cup oatmeal (you can also use flour)
2 tablespoons of olive oil (or any kind of cooking oil you prefer)
1 tablespoon Chili powder
1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard (optional)
1 teaspoon Sriracha Hot Sauce (or any kind of hot sauce you like)
1 teaspoon curry
1-2  eggs

Recipe:

1. (If baking preheat the oven at 180C or 385F)
2. Drain the black beans. (Don't throw away the juice. you can drink it or drizzle of a salad later.) Mash the beans with a folk in a bowl and until its mashed pretty well. After mashing the beans, stir in the sweet corn
3. Put a 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan (or use a cooking spray). Add the onions, garlic, green peppers and mushrooms. and cook until onions are translucent. 
4. Whilst you wait for the cooked stuff to cool down a bit, mix 1 egg, hot sauce, chili, curry and mustard in a small bowl.
5. Pour the egg mixture, oatmeal and cooked ingredients into the mashed beans and mix it all together. The mixture should be sticky and stay together well. You may need to add more oatmeal to get to a good paste or an extra egg if it is too dry. Set the mixture aside for about 5-10mins for the flavors to really mix well and for the excess liquid to be soaked by the oatmeal
6. Whilst you wait you can make a quick spinach salad. just toss together a cup of spinach, some sweet corn, a bit of feta, cherry tomatoes and drizzle some balsamic vinegar.
7. Now take the mixture and mold it into patties. This recipe should make about 6 medium sized patties. 
8. If frying in a pan. Put a tablespoon of oil in the pan and place the patties in to cook on both sides.
9. If you are baking place the patty in the over for 20 minutes or until crispy on the outside. Flip the burger after 10 minutes.)
10. Then serve it with your spinach salad and, if you like, sprinkle a bit of cheese on top as a treat ;)

Note that you can always freeze the patties you don't want to cook yet for later. I made 6 patties. I cooked some and froze the other patties to cook later during the week.

You can always experiment with this burger by adding different kinds of cooked vegetables, but remembering to keep correct proportions.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Xx

Rati