thefatcamel | | food. life. photography. travel. |

March 31, 2013 | By thefatcamel

I can’t believe tomorrow is the 1st of April, 2013. How fast is time flying by?? I feel like it was just yesterday that I started blogging about my two week cleanse, and now, I’ve come so far in my eating habits. I have currently cut out all meat from my diet except for seafood. That is still a work in progress for me, and I am actively trying to cut back on it each week, and that’s working out pretty well.

Another reason I cannot believe it’s the end of March is because of Game of Thrones. Season 2 premiered last April 2012, and ever since the finale, I have been eagerly awaiting the new season. And, yes, I am currently watching it as I write this blog post! Multi-tasking at its finest ; )

This thai green curry is absolutely fantastic – I saw a recipe for it in last month’s issue of Veg News, and was inspired by it. (more…)

Kung Pao Tofu

March 8, 2013 | By thefatcamel

After the failed snowstorm this week, I can’t help but be excited for Spring in the city. Not going to lie, I was extremely stoked for snow, after all growing up in the desert, snow is a rare occurrence (Ski Dubai does not count!!). But, of course, just like the sequester, sNOwquester in the city did disappoint! I did, however, manage to capture this lovely image while the snow/rain was rather heavy – for a total of 20-30 minutes.

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Spinach Pecan Pesto w/ Whole-Wheat Gnocchi

March 6, 2013 | By thefatcamel

I know I know, I have been neglecting my blog…I feel terrible about it! I’ve been so busy since moving to DC with work and commuting. When I come home, all I want to do is have dinner, and unwind. Being on the computer is the last thing on my mind. I have to change that and figure out a time when I can update my blog in a timely manner. However, with that being said, I am not neglecting cooking. In fact, just the opposite. Since I moved to this wonderful city, I have been cooking pretty much every night. Yup, you heard right. Every.Single.Night. What’s not to love? I have able to try different recipes from various cuisines and each day is a new adventure!

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Quick Mushroom & White Bean Soup

February 18, 2013 | By thefatcamel

I think I just found one of my favorite soups to prepare. Ever. Yup, you heard right. This is a healthy, delicious, hearty soup that can be made in under 30 minutes! There was a ton of mushrooms in the fridge just waiting to get in my belly, and I thought I’d try something different. I’ve never made a mushroom soup before, but the thought of mushrooms in a soupy broth really appealed to my taste buds.

Upon scouring my foodgawker app (as I usually do), I found this interesting recipe that is originally intended for the slow-cooker. I didn’t have time, or necessarily the desire to wait till TOMORROW to have soup, I decided to adapt the recipe to my time-frame and palate. I think everything tastes better with ginger and garlic, so of-course I had to add it to the recipe.

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Kale & Shrimp Whole-Wheat Spaghetti

February 7, 2013 | By thefatcamel

I realized that it was cheaper for me to bring a second suitcase along rather than mail it to me. And, I could pack more (yay, 50lbs!!!) winter coats and boots than I could have ever shipped!

I’m glad that I flew Virgin America because I was able to catch The Mindy Project on Fox via satellite tv. I never realized how funny Mindy Kaling was until I started watching her show…which led me to get her book Is Everyone Hanging Out without me (and other concerns). What’s even better is the fact that she reads her own audiobook…which I highly recommend getting. I couldn’t stop laughing…I found a new friend. Now, to get her to acknowledge this friendship, and we’ll be golden! ; )

Sticking to eating healthy hasn’t been hard, but I do admit I indulge sometimes (with a slice of pizza). I’m surprised at how easy it is to stay on track because the food is so appetizing. I am never tempted to snack on a piece of meat. : )

I tried kale for the first time last week when I made it two ways: kale chips (YUM!!!) and kale in pasta.

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Raw Peanut Butter Chocolate Mousse

February 5, 2013 | By thefatcamel

I’m sitting at the airport waiting for my flight, and what better way to spend my time than to blog about food???? (Or watch some 30 Rock on netflix…hmmmmm) I’m also pretty exhausted because I’ve been up recently having a 30 Rock marathon…I can’t believe I have never watched this show before. It’s hilarious. The writing, actors, story line….EVERYTHING is so incredibly funny. Of course I would start watching the night of the season finale. I know I am going to be so disappointed when I finally get to Season 7 and realize that it’s over. No more Liz Lemon on my screen…say it isn’t so : ( (more…)

The joys of packing…

January 31, 2013 | By thefatcamel

…Not reaaaaaaaaallllly. You think the amount of times I’ve done it before, I should be used to it by now. Ummm nope, not quite. This time is different. Why, you ask? Because I will be traveling to Washington, DC for 10 weeks. 10 WEEKS!! How am I going to put my life (aka clothes) into one suitcase and a box for ten weeks and not feel like I’ve left anything behind? If it was the summer, I would have been done packing by now, but because it’s winter and wayyy colder in DC than it is in sunny California, this is proving to be quite a challenge. Winter clothes – coats in particular are heavy, and bulky and just ugh, not suitcase friendly. Not to mention boots as well, and unfortunately, I can only wear one pair on the flight.

It’s times like this that I wish I could just teleport (my room) there and be done with it…put no thought into it!! One can dream. So, instead of packing, I am conveniently blogging about it. Definitely not solving my problems.

Why am I moving to DC for 10 weeks? (more…)

Cheesy Black Bean Quesadillas

January 31, 2013 | By thefatcamel

We had a bag of leftover corn tortillas sitting on the counter from the delicious veg fajitas I made last weekend. I needed to do something with them before they went bad, and settled on these black bean and cheese quesadillas. I was inspired to make them after having an Amy’s frozen Black Bean Enchilada meal. It was so good, you couldn’t really tell there wasn’t meat in it, and I thought this would translate well into a quesadilla.

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Spiced Corn Stuffed Mushrooms

January 28, 2013 | By thefatcamel

Q: Why did the Fungi leave the party?

A: There wasn’t mushroom.

-insert awkward silence/laughter here- Yup, I know, that was a mushroom joke, but you gotta admit it was pretty funny. Okay, kind of funny. Just laugh!

I love mushrooms, and if it was my party, no one would ever tell that joke. Mushrooms are always welcome on my plate. It’s kind of weird that I love to eat a fungus so much…but what’s not to love? They’re like the ‘meat’ of the veggie world and can be used in a variety of dishes and cuisines. If you don’t want to have a meat burger, you can always sub it with a portobello mushroom burger and still be pleasantly satisfied.

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Lemony Garlic Avocado Hummus

January 25, 2013 | By thefatcamel

I can’t believe it’s been almost two weeks since I last posted…time flies by so fast when you’re having fun. But, I wouldn’t know that…because that’s not the case for me. I’ve been dealing with a lot recently – getting sick, stressed out, and generally overwhelmed with my current situation. Sometimes you just need to take a little break from everything you’ve been doing on a daily basis, and do something new and different. So, what did I do? Read, listen to audiobooks, watch tv shows and movies, and just take time to relax. This has obviously caused me to shirk my blogging duties, and for that I am incredibly sorry.

I have successfully followed my cleanse, and have to note that it ended yesterday. I cannot begin to tell you how much better I feel…I have stopped craving sugary desserts, which is an amazing, amazing feat. I’d rather have some fruit, or a raw dessert as opposed to a processed candy bar. It’s crazy how my body has changed and adapted…I’ve lost 10lbs so far on the cleanse, and I feel the difference in my energy!

I think I will be sticking to the healthy eating even after the 21 days, and be more aware of the foods I put into my body. I am a huge fan of cooking from scratch whenever possible as opposed to frozen meals, and have never been a huge fan of chicken or red meat, so I won’t lose sleep not eating it anymore : )

A great source of protein to incorporate into a meatless diet would be chickpeas. With a delicious, nutty taste and smooth texture, they are also a great source of fiber, antioxidants like flavonoids, and manganese. In short, you really can’t go wrong eating them. I use them in curries, salads, as a snack, and in my all-time favorite dip: hummus. (more…)