Kevin O'Bryan

Category: Food

  • Going plant based tastes good!

    Going plant based tastes good!

    Ever felt like you wanted to take a food break?

    Not a break from eating food, but a break from eating the same, regular stuff that you normally consume.

    The white rice, fried chicken and other meals that are a staple of modern Jamaican cuisine can eventually become blah.

    I felt this way earlier this year.

    Fact is, I was eating so many different stuff, particularly meat. I LOVE to cook when I get the chance, and for this year, I have spent a lot of time experimenting. Most of this experimentation involved marinades with different meats and poultry, in the oven.

    I opened up my palette to so many new flavours by incorporating different spices and herbs into these dishes. But alas, I got fatigued and I felt that my diet was taking a heavy toll on my physical well being.

    So I gave myself a personal challenge.

    I would spend two weeks during the summer to detox but not in the new age way of juice cleanses and smoothies.

    For me, this detox was a literal break from the foods that I felt had suddenly taken over my diet – meat and animal products.

    Plant based as opposed to labelling myself vegetarian or even vegan (hate the politics of those labels) was what I intended to do for two weeks.

    Eat What you Cook

    Whenever I want to ensure that I eat consistently wholesome food, I do what bodybuilders do, I meal prep, usually on the weekend, for the week ahead.

    For this challenge, that meant going stocking up on some ground provisions like yams and coco (I love coco) and greens, LOTS of greens primarily, callaloo.

    I chose to make the basis of my diet legumes because not only were they accessible but they were also cheap and added vital nutrients in many ways.

    Fruits were also a staple for those times when I needed to snack, especially those that were in season.

    There were some standout foods that I identified from the go that would form part of my diet for this activity. I will tell you more about each below.

    Split peas

    plant based
    Split peas

    I love split peas because they are high in fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals. For my own purposes they made the basis for good, filling no-meat soup! On the weekend I made a big batch, portioned them out and stored them in the fridge, ensuring that I had soup all week long.

    Chickpeas

    plant based
    Chickpeas

    Garbanzo beans or Chickpeas were my saviour throughout the entire exercise and the most pleasant surprise of all! Using a variation of this recipe I made a big batch of chickpea curry that lasted me the entire week. I infused it with coconut milk and seasonings and a nice curry mix. I used the canned variety to save on time, but drained and rinsed them in water to remove any excess salt. While doing research I read up on chickpeas and it is basically a superfood. It is an excellent source of protein and fiber. The best part of chickpeas was the mouth feel because that curry tasted like chicken. The texture was incredible and the peas fused so well with the curry.

     

    Hummus

    plant based
    Hummus

    Because so much of my main foods during the period fiber rich, I didn’t really get hungry, however if ever I wanted to snack, hummus saved me. Hummus is made from chickpeas and you can buy them flavoured or just plain.

    I chose to buy the plain stuff and flavoured with a bit of cumin to give it an nice Mediterranean flavour. I paired the hummus with cucumbers!

    This was something I picked up from instagram, and it was described as a low calorie snack. Work for me. The quickest way to have me finishing a package of hummus is to give me cucumbers or any other veg to eat it with.

    Red Peas

    plant based
    Red peas

    I couldn’t have done this without planning a meatless stew peas, flavoured of course with coconut milk and a dash of cumin to add some mystique. I also added carrots to the mix to add some colour and texture. Bean stews will always be a Yes for me, because they are easy to make, nutrient filled, and are just a degree of separation from soups, which I love!

    Callaloo and Cabbage

    I love callaloo and cabbage for the same reasons. They are easy to make, easy to digest, and are a good way to get my veggies in outside of a salad, but not in a smoothie. Callaloo was a mainstay throughout my no-meat campaign, followed by cabbage, which I consume a lot of.

    Brown Rice

    plant based
    Brown Rice

    I love brown rice and cook it under normal circumstances. For this activity it was the main staple, non-vegetable carb that I consumed, in measured portions. It gave me energy and was filling so, win win.

    Plant based outcomes

    The week went by swimmingly. I can’t say I missed or craved meat, or milk or cheese. It helped that I never allowed myself to be hungry for too long and always had foods that I wanted with me.

    After seven days of enjoying animal-product-free meals, I officially dropped out of my quest. I attended an event and they had no meatless options, so I indulged.

    I didn’t do this for weight loss, just to give my digestive tract a break. For what it’s worth, I got that. But I also recorded a 7 pound drop in my weight on the scale. That was quite dramatic, especially as it was unexpected.

     

    This is by no means prescriptive. It was something I had to do for myself at that time. It has given me a fuller appreciation non-meat food and now I know that I could realistically live without meat.

    Be inspired, Be informed, Be Glorious!

    Kevin

    How do you feel about a plant based diet? Is it something you would consider? Let me know in the comments.

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  • Stay Woke: Don’t get swindled on Vacay

    Stay Woke: Don’t get swindled on Vacay

    Many of us Jamaicans have been so convinced that we live in a scammer’s paradise that we put our guards down when we travel.

    Let’s admit it, some Jamaicans are ingenious and get up to the most vicious schemes in an effort to steal other people’s hard earned cash.

    But once we leave our island’s shores, do we take the same amount of care in securing our possessions?

    Or do we throw caution to the wind, in those countries where security and safety is not at the forefront of our concerns?

    I must admit, I am guilty of letting my guard down when overseas. Especially when it comes to being scrupulous in dealing with certain aspects of tourist life.

    I’m always willing to swipe my credit card, most times without checking terminals.

    Sometimes I don’t even consider the security warnings I receive in Jamaica, while conducting point-of-sale transactions at a retailer overseas.

    But I received  a wake-up call recently while travelling.

    Infamous: Hotel Food

    Typically, when I stay in hotels overseas, I seldom have meals there. Problem is prices are usually ridiculously high and the meals are often subpar.

    However I decided to test the mettle of the Hotel’s in-house food service team by having breakfast at the location.

    It was DIVINE!

    The scrambled eggs, hash browns, toast, fruits and Canadian ham I enjoyed on the first morning, guaranteed that I would return for my remaining days at the hotel.

    Hotel
    It tasted even better than it looked!

    As a rule, I always pay these bills, in cash after each meal. I hate having to even consider clearing a bill at the end of my stay at a hotel.

    For each day of my stay this was done during the breakfast period.

    Initially it felt a bit weird, leaving my money at the table, out in the open like that. Let’s be real, another guest could swipe it, then what?

    This ran across my mind a few mornings. In fact on the third morning, I had reason to hand the money directly to my server, in order to get change.

    That evening I decided to have dinner at the hotel as the thought of trekking through the streets to find a food spot was quite unappealing.

    Taste-wise, it wasn’t a bad decision either. The seafood chowder was heavenly and the grilled salmon on a bed of fingerling potatoes and green beans was amazing.

    Once I sat down to eat I realized that the wait staff was not the same personnel from the mornings. Nevertheless, I expected that the same level of customer service would be provided.

    Time to Pay Up

    As is customary, when I finished my meal, I asked for my invoice, reviewed it, and took out the cash needed to pay the bill, including a tip. I also recorded this on the invoice.

    I placed the cash under the invoice and then made my way to the front desk of the hotel to get some information on the express checkout service.

    That took me about two minutes.

    When I greeted the front desk attendant and told her what I was querying, she suggested that I could clear any amounts charged to my room.

    So I said ‘sure.’

    To the best of my knowledge, the only thing owing was a small charge for an orange juice. I had ordered it a day earlier but didn’t have my wallet to pay immediately.

    To my surprise, there was an additional charge, in the exact same amount as the dinner I just paid for, tip included.

    So I told her that the additional charge should not be there because I just paid it. She was in disbelief and when she checked when the amount was posted it showed that it was done only a few minutes before.

    I was understandably annoyed and she promised to check with the wait staff to have it rectified. I  could not wait so I returned to the restaurant.

    When I got there, I saw the girl who served me, clearing the table.

    I asked her if she had seen the money.

    She said “yes”  then added “I didn’t know if it was allowed for me to leave cash for payment, or if it was only to be charged to my room”… ??????????????

    I WAS SHOOK!

    I let her know that I don’t charge my room for ANYTHING and I always pay cash.

    That’s why I left the money.

    She said “ok, ok.”

    The Real

    Now, even a baby could see that she was trying to pull a fast one on me. I left the cash and once I got up she pocketed my payment and  proceeded to post the entire amount to my room.

    Thankfully, I had reason to check with the front desk staff or I would have been swindled. Then I’d be left to convince the hotel that I had in fact made the payment previously.

    Another front-desk employee, realising how grave the incident was, whispered to me that “a lot of the serving staff was new.”

    The experience taught me to follow my instincts and ensure that I always make my payment to the server. But even with my apprehensions about leaving my payment on the table, I overlooked the possible risks.

    I was lulled into this false sense of security but I won’t be making that mistake again.

    Be inspired, Be informed, Be Glorious!

    Kevin

    What are some of your worst experiences while travelling? Let me know in the comments. Subscribe to the blog in the comments sections to get notified with each new post and share your content suggestions here.