Robyn’s Monthly Morsel

Going back through the year I came up with the nutrition and body image related things I have in my own ‘tool kit’.

They include a 6 Quart Instant Pot, my A5 Memo Bottle, the books Body Kindness and Born To Eat, and a new TRX for Suspension Weight Training.

All of these combined encompass food, fluid, body image, and movement. The core components I look at for wellness. If we were to round this list out more completely, I’d be able to add an extra hour of sleep every day and lots more time with family and friends. The latter will be more of my new year’s intentions!

Lastly, my most favorite, quick and easy Instant Pot recipe right now:

Serves 8

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup onion, diced
5 cloves garlic
1 lb ground beef
1.5 cups water or broth
1.5 cups basmati rice
4 cups shredded cabbage
3 Tbsp shawarma spice
1 tsp salt
¼ cup chopped cilantro for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. Turn your Instant Pot onto Sauté on high. When the display reads HOT, add oil. When the oil is hot and shimmering, add the minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
2. Add onions and ground beef. Stir while breaking up the ground beef clumps. Don’t worry about cooking the beef at this stage, just break it up well.
3. Add rice, water, cabbage, salt, and shawarma spice.
4. Cook on High Pressure for 5 minutes, and allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes. Release remaining pressure.

I love serving this with either cilantro or mint and parsley as garnishes. Although, I know some folks are not fans of cilantro. Serve plain yogurt on top or on the side to take some of the spice down or with a side of pitas to dip in za’atar (another awesome spice!) mixed with olive oil.

This shawarma spice mix has a kick to it (it’s a mixture of spices you likely have at home already that can be found in the link). If spicy is not your thing, try adding just 2 Tbsp.

I’m a huge fan of making double batches of meals and freezing them for another lunch or dinner. This meal freezes extremely well! Think of it as an easy-to-make meal on a cold, winter night. You could also pair it with scrambled eggs and a pita for a warm winter lunch.

Merry and happy to all.