falafel butt & coconut cream

Say what? Falafel butt

Lou Lou (my twin sister) knows me so well, she knew this photo--snapped on the streets of San Francisco--would make me oh-so-happy. It also happens to be very full o' falafel blog appropriate.

It's day 3 of our nutritional journey, so I don't envision too much conventional falafel in my near future (though there will be primal falafel recipe experimenting at some point).

I did, however, eat 'nola with banana, apple, and coconut cream this morning for breakfast. It felt so wrong in all its creaminess, but tasted so good--and is apparently good for me. I ain't complaining.

It may be premature, but I'm feeling quite optimistic about this whole no grains, no sugar business. I also have some equally premature predictions that: 1. the awesome, yeasty spots on my back will disappear, and 2. my hamstring issues will greatly dissipate. Time will tell...

Rock that jumpsuit, Jack!

Jack Lalanne preaches against sugarholism in style (it's like he's staring through my raised-on-Lucky Charms-and-Dunkin' Donuts soul):

So, Adam and I are embarking on a new diet nutritional journey in the form of Primal Living. The very, very basic guidelines: eat meat (mmm, bacon), vegetables, fruit, and good fats (olive oil, avocado, nut oils and butters, etc.). Minimize dairy and legume consumption (some cheese and beans are okay--yay for gouda and hummus!). Avoid grains and refined sugars altogether (yes, baking will look *quite* different).

It's day one, so not much to report, but the site I stumbled across that prompted all this--Mark's Daily Apple--is a fascinating wealth o' info, much of which goes against conventional wisdom about health, food, fitness, our bodies, etc. If you're obsessed with all of these things like I am, you might wanna check it out.

P.S. Apparently, in 2009 Jack Lalanne celebrated his 95th birthday by doing 95 push-ups. Huzzah!

Right now.

This is happening in my face: Moroccan bean stew with sweet potatoes.

Yes, those are roasted figs on top. Aw, yeah

I am writing in between delicious bites because it's just that darn good and thus must be shared with the people I love. Plus, it's vegan, and fairly easy to make (though you may have to beef up your spice rack, not sure how many folks have turmeric on hand). Added benefit: It works wonders for easing Abu Dhabi taxi-induced motion sickness. Oh, I also substituted a can of foul medammes (aka fava beans) for the black beans 'cause they seemed more appropriate for a Middle Eastern dish.

While I'm at it, here are a few other yummy things that have happened at The Manzel Kitchen recently:

My own lunch time invention, Middle Eastern-inspired pizza: whole wheat flat bread topped with hummus, sauteed onions and mushrooms, and lamb kofta.

Did you know that LAMB IS DELICIOUS? Well, it is.

Garlicky roasted chicken with garlic jus on garlic toast. This recipe called for three heads--not cloves, heads--of garlic. I never thought I'd say this, but it was almost *too* garlicky. I imagine they served similar dishes at my father's Lions Club dinners--my mom used to tell me he'd come home and sweat garlic out of his pores for days afterward.

Things which must be...

Eaten.
I spend a lot more time reading other people's blogs than writing my own. Mostly, I salivate over food blogs. When I am irked and confused by Adam's ability to "shoot guys" for hours on end, I remind myself of my similarly time-consuming habit of going deep down the rabbit hole of deliciously tempting recipes on smitten kitchen, Pioneer Woman, Bake or Break... The list is endless.

Which brings me to the Thing Which Must Be Eaten: oats in a jar. I got this "recipe" from Runner's Kitchen (satisfies two of my loves in life: running and eating). It goes something like this:

1. STOP. Don't throw away that nearly empty jar of peanut/almond/other hippie nut butter you think is useless given its resistance to all your knife/spoon/spatula efforts to scoop the remnants of its deliciousness out and onto your bread (or directly into your mouth, if that's yer thing).
2. Grab your oats. I measured out a 1/3 cup of oats, dropped them in the jar, and then filled it with about enough water to cover the oats + 1/2 inch (if you want to get more precise, you can follow the cooking directions on your bag o' oats). I also added a small handful of raisins.
3. Make it hot. I microwaved mine for about 2 1/2 minutes, checked it, and then gave it another 30 seconds. Again, you can follow cooking directions on the bag if you prefer.
4. Dress it up. Once the oats were cooked, I added cinnamon, maple syrup, chocolate chips, soy milk, and topped it off with some chopped banana. Adam went sans chocolate chips, claiming he's "watching his girlish figure."
5. DEVOUR.

Watched.
Dexter. All five seasons, if you have that kind of time on your hands (and the privileged lady I am, I do). It somehow manages to be bloody and disturbing yet warm and funny at the same time. The characters are dynamic and real, and I've grown very fond of those who've stayed with the show since the beginning (Dexter, Deb, Rita, Angel, LaGuerta, and even midget porn-loving Masuka). Don't be deterred by the third season's slightly meh story line--it's worth sticking it out through Jimmy Smit's obnoxious mustache to seasons four and five.

Confessed.
Quoting Masuka, the aforementioned potty-mouthed Dexter character, "It's 20[11], who smokes?"

The answer, shockingly and sadly, is me. Yup, the woman who ran for two hours and nearly 13 miles this morning then bought a pack of Davidoff Super Slim Lights. I know, trust me, I know. But I tell myself (and you concerned family and friends) that this is strictly an Abu Dhabi vice, and when I leave this fairly terrible place, I will quit this awfully terrible habit. Promise.