Month 2 of 12. Already ?! Time flies. We are still at home though and need some things that make our month of February a bit easier and a bit better. So, that is why there are the Feb Top 5, already the 6th blog post of the series, which makes me so soso happy, because you really seem to love them! We have got some really really cool things in here so make sure to check and try them all out!
Food of the Month – Chickpeas
Chickpeas – Kichererbsen – Pois chiches. These little, incredibly versatile beans are the food of the month February! Why? They are super nutritious, delicious and soso incredibly easy to cook with. Plus you can make so many, so good things out of it – so it already was high time to include them!
Chickpeas are one of the oldest consumed legumes ever – they have already been eaten over 7500 years ago in what today is Turkey – so pretty old! Even more amazing that they still are consumed so greatly. In the 18th and 20th century they even have been used as a cheaper substitute for coffee in some parts of Europe.
Today they are found in various cuisines around the world! In Middle Eastern cuisine for hummus and falafel (little fun fact: hummus actually is the Arabic word for chickpeas), in Indian cuisine in curries, in Italy it often is eaten with pasta, especially in the south and in the US it has experienced recent trends in form of pasta, which solely is made out of these peas.
Chickpeas actually are super nutritious! Cooked chickpeas (the ones you can find in a can) are really high in protein, with more than 8g/ 100g serving. They have almost equal amounts in fibre, which makes them great for digestion. Plus they are really high in Vitamin B9 and Iron.
Chickpeas are a staple in plant based and vegetarian nutrition because they are very high in protein, easy to prepare and super delicious! I personally love them in all different asian sauces or stews! If you need some inspiration on what to make with chickpeas you can try out the saucy hoisin chickpea bowl, the falafel pita sandwich or the chickpea and pineapple summer curry !
Recipe of the month – breakfast overnight quinoa
This recipe is not only something I love but also one you love! So many remakes in such a short time! This just made me so happy so it just had to become the recipe of the month!
Actually I had this for the first time when I was on holidays! I loved it so much that I decided to recreate it, which only took me four years to realise and it is so worth it! You have the fluffy and soft quinoa soaked up in a creamy vanilla yoghurt-milk sauce kind of thing. On top some freshly warmed frozen berries and all served up together. perfectly sweet, perfectly creamy!
And that is not even the best part! It is just so incredibly easy to make and prepare that you’ll have it ready to go within a few minutes in the morning! just make the quinoa the night before, chill in the fridge overnight and serve with the berries in the morning!
Plus, it also works great for meal prep, plus it is really healthy! Quinoa actually has been the food of the month in January, so you can read more about its health benefits here! So what are you even waiting for? You won’t regret making it!
Workout of the month – Elly magpie
Fitness for everybody. Elisabeth aka Elly Magpie stands for having fun while moving. For a healthy body feeling and love. Fitness is something for everyone. There is no too thick, too thin, too short, too tall.
if you love your body, you take care of it. And sport if the perfect tool for that, that’s what Elly says. And I think she is more than right with her statement. Working out is something you do because you want to do something good for yourself and not because you want to punish yourself.
Her workouts are meant to be done by anyone. Easier and more difficult variations, depending on what you prefer – but believe me, you will be sore after! If you want to try them out you can for example try their live training with @dariadarie on Instagram and if you like it you can book their classes via ever sport. They take place almost daily.
Believe me – you’ll feel sore the next day and inspired by the trainer’s positivity immediately after!
Product of the month – share bar
Share bar – a bar with a mission. What is „share“? it is a company with an incredible mission behind it, which is „share for a better world“. How does it work? You buy one of their products and donate for each purchased one!
For example; you buy one bar and donate one meal to a person in need. With the purchase of one sparkling water you provide drinking water for one person in need. With the purchase of one of their journals you enable one school lesson for a kid.
Not only that the mission is simply incredible and such a great idea but also their bar tastes amazing! I have so far only found the chocolate and sea salt one (at Bipa) but they also have several other flavours like honey almond or cacao – hazelnut. Besides nut bars, there also are pasta, chocolate or other bars that you can purchase and which you can make an impact with.
The bar is vegan, organic, only has ingredients you can read (!) and no refined sugar. And obviously it tastes amazing! You can find them at Bipa, dm & rewe (their online shop is inactive right now)! Definitely worth a try!
Inspiration of the month – Alivia D’Andrea
Who is Olivia D’Andrea and why is she the inspiration of the month? Alivia is an American YouTube, who has started making YouTube videos 6 years ago. I have only recently discovered her through a friend’s recommendation and started watching her videos (and finished within 3 days – which I usually never do, I usually only watch while editing pictures, that says a lot about her).
Her videos are really inspirational and informative, as she gives tips and advice for self care, productivity, recipes, self love, healthy recipes and much more! And she is super honest and real in her videos, which I really like! Also, she does include facts, so her information is not just something made up but really backed up.
On her channel Alivia has also started a series of „Glow up diaries“, in which she shows her year-long journey of (wanting to) glowing up. Before you watch this, a little trigger warning, and please be aware that this content may not be the best for you if you are sensitive to disordered eating or an unhealthy relationship with food!! Please be careful with this! What inspired me so much about her is not the glow-up on the outside (which is impressive) but the glow up on the inside. The mental strength, the positive mindset and willpower to change for better is what is so incredible inspirational. Honestly, it encourages you to change your life, let go of bad habits and become something better and greater.
She is a bit similar to Linda Sun (who has been the inspiration of the month of October) but still very different. What they have in common is their struggle for body image and that they have a long journey with disordered eating behind them.
I hope that you’ll also enjoy this month’s Top 5 and that they will make your lockdown and just your whole month in general a bit better and a bit easier! I would love to hear what you think about them and stay tuned for some exciting things coming your way in February !!
Love,
Katie // Une Petite CuisiniÈre