Over time, I’ve noticed that there are a few words/phrases which I repeatedly use.  If you too have noticed it, I apologise for coming off as a parrot.  However I can’t guarantee I am going to stop anytime soon:

• “Lol” (laugh out loud) on Blackberry – it’s kind of my fake laugh or used when I don’t really have a response but at the same time, don’t want to be rude and ignore . When there’s more than one ‘L’ (lollll) or a ‘hahaha’, you know it’s a genuine appreciation of humor.
• “Sounds like a plan, Stan”– I like to rhyme…all the time. Perhaps I’m a poet, who just doesn’t know it?
• “Yollerations”: I don’t really know where this started from but it’s basically my choice of greeting. Think of it as a combination of yo, holler, and hollerations.
• “What a whack job” or “He/she is such a whack job”

And probably my MOST used phrase:

• “Man this tastes so good!”

I use this line so often that it makes me wonder whether people still believe me 😆 !  That’s why I don’t understand how some people STILL hold the misconception that food which is good for you is tasteless, bland, and boring.  If you have tried any of my recipes, I hope you will also beg to differ.

From avocados to yogurt to hummus to sweet potatoes to prawns, there are SO many delicious foods that are equally nutritious and exciting.  If you’ve had multiple bad encounters with nutritious foods, blame the cook who prepared it, not the food.  Even I’ll admit that overly boiled broccoli is Gross with a capital ‘G’, but grill it and I can’t get enough of those little trees.  All it takes is a few simple ingredients, tweaks to cooking methods, and a fraction of innovation to crank a boring meal up a notch. In fact, I’ll take it up as a personal challenge to healthify any dish which you are dubious about.

Let’s take spaghetti bakes for starters.  Don’t even try to tell me you don’t like carbs & cheese together- didn’t your momma ever teach you that lying is a bad habit. Well for those who own up to enjoying this traditionally ‘calorie-laden’ and ‘greasy’ dish, here’s my favorite spaghetti bake recipe that is both healthy and scrumptious (shock horror :shock:).

Spaghetti Bake

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 80g durum wheat/whole-wheat spaghetti
• 4 vegetarian sausages (or 2 chicken breasts if you prefer)
• Mushrooms
• Broccoli
• Sweet pepper
• 1.5 tins peeled tomato
• 1/2 onion
• 3 pods garlic
• Bay leaf
• Black peppercorns
• Salt, to taste
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 40 grams grated cheddar/mozzarella/Parmesan (or whatever cheese you have at home)

Method

For the sauce:

• Saute onion and garlic till pink.
• Add tins of tomato, bay leaf, black peppercorns, oregano and salt.
• Bring to a boil, and then let it simmer until a thick sauce forms.

The bake:

• Pre-heat the oven to 200*C.
• Coat a heated skillet with spray oil.
• Cook the vegetarian sausages (or chicken) until ready and then remove from pan.
• Re-heat the pan and saute broccoli. After 2 minutes, add in the mushrooms and peppers.
• In the meanwhile, cook the spaghetti according to instructions on the packet.
• Once the vegetables have cooked, add back the sausages (chicken), spaghetti, sauce and mix well.
• Pour the mixture in an oven-proof dish, top it with your choice of cheese.
• Bake the spaghetti in the oven for 20 minutes, or until the cheese has melted to a golden brown.

I’m excited for dinner tonight..