Suzy Eats

As a teenager and young girl, I was always pretty “skinny”. Fortunately, I did not have to diet and worry about my weight. Well let me tell you….that time is LONG GONE!!!! I have realized that once I hit 30 years old, I needed to eat right and exercise to stay fit and maintain my weight. Some of my friends suggested that I try frozen meals so I did, but many of them are not as “healthy” as they seem and the taste….let’s just say “yuck”.!!

I was contacted by Saffron Road Foods™ recently and agreed to review their selection of frozen meals. The first thing I did was go to their website and do some research, and I was definitely pleased with my first impression. Saffron Road Foods is certified humane, 100% vegetarian feed, all natural and raised without antibiotics. Their meat is all Halal which means they have fair treatment for farmers and livestock, and it is definitely clean and healthy meat.

Stay posted for my review later this week 🙂

My husband and I went to Whole Foods early yesterday to try Saffron Road’s frozen meals.  We are planning to try the Lamb Saag, Chicken Biryani, Chicken Tikka Masala and Lamb Vindaloo this week. I will definitely let you know what happens by Friday.

When I make a stew, I ALWAYS make “yellow” basmati rice as the side. My husband does not understand why I always make this “yellow” rice. He eats it, but with comments and smirks …. In other words, “why don’t you make “white” rice?”. Finally, yesterday, I realized that my husband thought yellow and white rice are two completely different types of rice. I realized that he must not be the only one who had that thought. So I would like to clarify that when rice is “yellow” it is because TUMERIC is added to “white” rice. The rice is actually not “yellow” by nature.

So what is TUMERIC???

Tumeric belongs to the ginger family. It is has been used for thousands of years.

I am going to give you the same answer I gave my husband last night as to why I ALWAYS make “yellow” rice.

1.  Its easy! I sprinkle 1 teaspoon of tumeric on 1 cup of rice.
2. It has antiseptic and antibacterial properties…(you can even use it directly on a scrape or burn)
3. It helps treat people who have psoriasis and can help with various benign tumors
4. It can help prevent prostate and breast cancer (there are numerous studies on this!!!)
5. Chinese medicine has been using it for 100’s of years for depression

There are more reasons why tumeric is one of my favorite spices but these are the main ones. I say sprinkle tumeric on everything. It can only help, and my husband is going to have to eat white rice when we are not eating at home 🙂

I would love to hear from YOU. What are some of your favorite mediterranean spices?? I have listed some below.

1. Basil
2. Bay Leaves
3. Caraway Seeds
4. Cardamom
5. Chervil
6. Chili Peppers
7. Chives
8. Cilantro
9. Cinnamon
10. Cloves
11. Coriander
12. Cumin
13. Fennel
14. Fenugreek
15. Garlic
16. Ginger
17. Juniper Berries
18. Mace
19. Majoram
20. Mint
21. Nutmeg
22. Onion
23. Oregano
24. Paprika
25. Parsley
26. Pepper
27. Rosemary
28. Saffron
29. Sage
30. Sea Salt
31. Savory
32. Tarragon
33. Thyme
34. Tumeric

Spices……Mediterranean Foods are known for their rich flavors which come from the vast amount of fresh spices cultivated around the Mediterranean.

If you are an avid reader of the blog, you can see the many recipes call for cumin. Cumin has been used since ancient times and is cultivated in the Mediterranean. It is one of the most popular spices in the world. I actually found one source that says only black pepper is used more frequently than cumin. I definitely recommend it on meats to give them a warmer, spicier flavor.

But…what are the health benefits?? Cumin can be boiled with water to make a tea that can help treat a stomachache. It is also known to help with digestion and there is some scientific evidence that states it stimulates enzymes to break certain foods down making digestion easier.

It is great for morning sickness and heartburn. It is especially useful on foods that may cause “gas” such as cauliflower or beans. If you sprinkle some cumin, you may decrease the flatulence that you, your family or guests will experience from eating these foods. Cumin also contains iron which is important in……pregnancy, patients undergoing chemotherapy, anemia and others.  It can also help lessen the duration of the common cold.

Finally, recent studies also state that cumin may have anti-carcinogenic properties. In other words, it may help to fight cancer.

I say add a dash of cumin to EVERYTHING…it doesn’t hurt. Adds great flavor and has many health benefits.

One of my best friends who is an amazing cook adds cumin to everything, and I think that is her secret to cooking so I won’t say her name but she knows I am talking about her 🙂

What are some of your favorite spices?? What do you want to hear more about?? Let me know.

Hope everyone affected by this terrible blizzard is safe and that the snow stops all over the country 🙂 !!  As you can see, I am more of a “sun” person. Are you??? I like driving in the snow though because people are always a lot nicer and more calm.

I had a request for a Lentil Soup Recipe from a reader, and I have decided to post this one. I think this recipe is perfect for a “snow day”.

It includes Red Turkish Lentils which are very easy to cook since you do not need a blender or mixer to create the soup texture. Remember to soak them for at least 1 hour before cooking them.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil (HEALTHY 🙂 )
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 fresh garlic cloves, minced
3 cups water
1 cup Red Turkish lentils
½ cup carrots, diced
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon tumeric
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro

How To:
1. Place a large soup pot on the stovetop on medium heat, add the olive oil and then sauté the onions, garlic for about 5 minutes or until golden in the heated olive oil.
2. Add the water, lentils, carrots, salt, black pepper, tumeric, cumin. Bring to a boil for a couple minutes then simmer on medium-low for 1 hour or until the lentils are soft.
3. Stir. Top with cilantro and serve. Enjoy!!

Quick and Easy.

Tips: Can also top with rosemary if you want a “lemon” flavor

Please let me know how you like it 🙂