What Am I Putting in My Face?

Moving to Morocco posed a lot of challenges to my culinary senses.  I remember Chad walking through Acima with me looking (disgusted) at the meat, disappointed in the veggies, the bags in an unfamiliar language, and I was left baffled at what to make.  I honestly can't really tell you what we ate upon arriving.  Maybe we just ate out a lot, maybe we just ate rice.  I do not remember.  However, as time has progressed I have navigated the grocery stores, the bakery, the veggie market and the butcher all to help us put together healthy meals. Usually one morning is dedicated to attending the veggie market to buy the weeks fruit and vegetables, buying groceries at Acima, and purchasing meat the the butcher.  There are a lot on inconveniences about this method but a lot of adventures too!

We do not own a car here, so everything is completed with a two year old, a stroller and heaps of reusable bags.  We walk about a half mile to the vegetable market from our apartment and stop at Acima on the way home.  About every other week we walk to the butcher opposite direction from the vegetable market and buy about 2 kilos of chicken.  On the way home, sometimes we stop at Paul, the bakery but this errand is less frequent as we LOVE bread, so we limit our bread purchasing:)

On Sundays, I make the meals for the week.  This includes all lunches and most dinners.  I have been asked by multiple single people 'How do you survive the week?'  This is how.  Prepare the unnecessary just to make life easier in the long run.  Because I spend little time cooking during the week, I spend time exercising, playing with Claire and living life.

So, I have decided to share my 'culinary adventures' in Morocco with you.  Share how we have kept our healthy eating and my sanity alive.

Each week, I make a soup... ALWAYS a soup packed full of vegetables.  It is an easy way to ensure I am taking in my veggies in an easy and delicious way.  Here is my minestrone soup.  It consists of 1 kilo green beans, 5 tomatoes, 1 leek, 2 carrots, 2 zucchinis, 12oz chickpeas, 12oz red beans.  The beans are an easy protein.  I take soup for my lunch everyday.

Hehe:)  My Earl Grey Tea.  When I have had enough with water, I drink Earl Grey Tea.  My tea consists of three things only- tea, water, splash of milk.  I recently switched away from sugar in my tea.

I steamed an entire head of cauliflower as well as 1 kilo pumpkin.  When it was soft, I mashed it to the consistency of mashed potatoes (or baby food:/).  I added nutmeg and cinnamon- no salt, no sugar, no butter.

Claire eats Weetabix all by itself for snack and breakfast at times.  I tend to like it with yogurt or plain.  You can also drench in milk I hear.  Healthy way for a quick start breakfast.

Claire gets a yogurt in every lunch.  These are her yogurts.  She alternates between banana, mango and strawberry.

My yogurts.  I eat one yogurt either for snack or dessert, depending on my mood.  I LOVE the orange chocolate.  They are 'fromage frais" or thick cheese.

This week, I made Claire Quiche for some of her lunches.  Her quiche includes eggs, flour, milk, chicken, zucchini and leek.  She DEVOURS these.  I place the batter in tart dishes so they end up perfect individual sizes for lunch!

This week I also made Claire mini pizzas.  She has had a hard time eating veggies even though I try my darndest... so I have become creative in  my methods.  These pizzas contain a sauce made from tomato sauce cooked with pumpkin and small bits of zucchini in my tagine.  I then mash it all together so it looks like tomato sauce.  Then, I decided to add a bit of my cauliflower and pumpkin mash from above.  I topped with whole milk mozzarella and chicken.  Done!  Little does she know that it has so many veggies:)

I baked 1 kilo of my chicken.  I cooked all of it so I can dice it for quinoa, have it with the pumpkin cauliflower mash, on top of Claire's pizzas and in the quinoa.  I put all the 'unused' chicken in the refrigerator for use for dinners this week.

1 Kilo of strawberries.  These become desserts and sides in lunches!  They are delicious- nearly red throughout the entire strawberry, plus only cost me $2.00.

Claire's refrigerated lunch (only part).  

 I made us cookies this week to.  I tried a new recipe without flour or sugar.  Use them as a quick snack or pre-workout energy bite.  These cookies have two ingredients only- one egg, one cup peanut butter.

We have other things we snack on and have readily available for our tummies if needed.  In our cupboards, we have almonds, cheerios, pizza dough (on back up plan), pretzels, apples, and apple sauce.  However, outside of chicken, fruit and veggies, our diet consists of little more.  We have managed to continue to eat well, exercise and play!

We miss and love you all at home.

xo

Lex