Hey! It’s LA from Black Girls Eat and I’m on the East Coast freezing! I am so mad at all of you with the sunshine on your face right now. Whew! It’s cold in NYC. But hey, I can’t just wrap myself in a blanket of mashed potatoes right? Well I could if I added some garlic and basil but you know what I mean!
Winter is hard. This is absolutely comfort food weather. When you are leaning into plant-based nutrition, the goal is to get more fruits, grains and veggies on your plate. That can be a real challenge during winter. I’m not just talking about what’s available in the store. I’m talking about the fact that at least once a week someone tells me they don’t “feel” like eating a salad.
But this plant-based life is more than just salad greens. This is your grand opportunity to remix your plate with new ideas. So if you are looking for comfort, how about a beautiful bowl of tomato soup? How about a tasty empanada? Let’s even go for creamy bowl of pesto pasta. Yep you can find all those recipes at the Black Girls Eat website.
Ahh….But Comfort Foods Make Us Happy
Yes, it’s a fact. Sweet and starchy foods make us feel happy. That’s because those foods help us make Seratonin. This is a big deal because Seratonin is known as the “happy” or “feel good” hormone. So that’s why we feel so great when we are on the sofa knee deep in pizza, biscuits, french fries and of course, mac & cheese! I hear you. I really do. All I’m saying is that we can get that same warm and fuzzy feeling if we get out of our comfort zone. Ha! See what I did there? :-)
The Recipe: Coconut Fonio with Tumeric, Onions and Peppers
I was tired of brown rice. Tired of quinoa. I loved discovering Fonio. Pronounced Phone-yo, it’s an African heritage grain which means it has been around for about 5,000 years. Fonio is a whole grain that is gluten free and offers more calcium than any other grain, good fiber and protein. My recipe was tasty and it worked well as a side dish and solo. Visit the website to check out the recipe and make your own.
The Random: I Am One of the Most Serious Law and Order Fans You Will Ever Meet.
So this is really random and totally not food related. But I am one of the most serious Law and Order fans you will ever meet. Okay there…I said it out loud. While I enjoy checking out all the new stuff that pops up, I could absolutely watch any version of Law & Order for 24 straight hours.
I’ll go all the way back to the original when it was a young Jack McCoy with a cute and young Paul Robinette. I will stay up all night watching L & O Criminal Intent with Eames, Goren and Carver. Of course I gotta always re-watch whatever Olivia, Tutuola and the crew have going on for any episode of SUV. (We miss you already Richard Belzer aka Munch). And I’m not mad at Elliot Stabler, Sargeant Ayanna Bell and the new crew of L & O: Organized Crime.
Thankfully, I live in NYC and I get to run into many of the cast members. Guess who was chilling at the Black Panther premiere last fall? Yep….that’s Jill Hennessy. She used to stand toe to toe with all the tough guys as Clair Kincaid on the original show. Loved spending time with her. She’s a true talent and has an awesome vibe. Yes. I was in L & O heaven! Don’t you love it when you get to meet one of your faves?
Thanks for spending time with me. I hope you have a beautiful weekend filled with plant-forward comfort foods. Shop with me at my new Amazon Shop and don’t forget to follow me on IG @blackgirlseat