Purple Potatoes and Poached Eggs!

I'm going to tell you a secret: I've never met a potato I don't like.  Seriously.  I'd eat potatoes in every variation at least three times a week if I could.  Come to think about it, why can't I?  Seriously?

Potatoes get a bad wrap nutritionally, even though the skins have more potassium than a banana and they're chock full of energy.  Oh yes, I forget, we're supposed to be hating on carbs right now...   Well, too damn bad!  I love me some whole grains and potatoes and last time I checked, I'm not busting out of my dress pants.

Except that I am.  Because I seem to be growing a baby.  Whoops!

It's been a struggle to eat my veggies the last few months, and somehow they seem more appealing in the morning when my energy is high than in the evening when it just feels like a whole lot of chewing.  I've taken to sautéing spinach or kale and storing it in the fridge so I can eat it over a few days for breakfast.  On Sunday, I cooked up onions, kale and potatoes to have with my eggs (or chicken breakfast sausage).  The trick to quick morning potatoes is to mix your potatoes with salt and a little olive oil, cover, and microwave for about 6 minutes, stirring half way through.  Then throw them in the pan and crisp them up.  Done in 10 minutes!

Give it a try and tell me what you think!  And if you'd like to know how to poach an egg, check out my previous post.

Getting Back On The Horse

I'm proud of this meal.  Not because it's pretty (it's not).  Or because it's complicated (it's really not).  I'm proud because I conceived of it and even prepared most of it myself: a complete meal, including spices other than salt! 

I haven't wanted to prepare or even eat food for the past few months, and I can't tell you what a mind-bender it's been for this food-obsessed nutritionist to abhor food. I've been living on the good graces of my husband, the PCC deli and a few meals that have made it into the crock pot; I LOVE my slow cooker.  

I've made split pea soup, lentil soup and a few chicken dishes just by throwing ingredients in the pot and plugging it in on the porch so I didn't have to smell it.  Ben has been grilling and making beautiful salads.  PCC has given me an endless supply of chicken, potato and tofu salads.  Between all of us, we seem to be growing a healthy baby.

At 16 weeks (I'm 19 weeks now.  I guess I wrote this 3 weeks ago!) I still throw up occasionally, and I still suffer bouts of nausea.  I have the nose of a dog, and strong smells send me over the edge--if I never have to see/taste/touch/smell or otherwise be in contact with coffee and bacon again, it will be too soon.  But things are better.  I can tell I'm starting to feel more myself because after 4 months of pregnancy, I came home from vacation and needed to sort out my spices (we were out of several) and make sure we had a variety of grains in the cupboard.  I wanted to cook.

Grilled Whitefish with Summer Squash and Mashed Potatoes

Use any whitefish you can find on sale.  We purchased sole and it was delicious, though it fell apart.  If I were to use it again, I'd stack the pieces in the foil instead of laying them side by side.

Fish: Lay fish in foil.  Rub with olive oil, salt, and fresh dill.  Place sliced lemons on top.  Wrap completely in foil and grill on a low heat until the fish is cooked through.

Summer Squash: Slice and rub with olive oil and salt.  Grill until tender.  I tossed mine with this lovely Za'atar Vinaigrette from David Lebovitz (though I added a little sugar).

Potatoes: Slice and boil skin-on red potatoes in salted water until tender.  Drain and mash with organic grass-fed butter (trust me, it makes a difference) and almond milk.  Adjust seasonings.

Enjoy!