Hey guys, thanks for answering my questions on meal replacement and nutrition bars on my last post. They were very informative, and now that I have both sides of the story, I feel more confident in being able to set a firm opinion on this topic. I definitely would much rather had “real food” for snacks, but I realized that these bars can actually be more practical and useful than “real food” as a quick pre-workout snack, as they do stick lighter on the stomach. But that also goes to prove that they’re not as substantial and satisfying as a real, wholesome food.

Anyway, back to me. Heh.

When I was young, I was a very stubborn, very stupid kid. One of the obvious proof: I absolutely hated fruits. The only kind of fruits I ever ate were durians (which actually really is a meal in itself) and watermelon. All other kinds, I abhorred with every fiber of my little being.

I don’t think I hated fruits for its taste, because I can’t get enough of fruits now. I just never gave them a chance. Why? Well, first of all, they were healthy and nutritious, and of course in every kid’s mind, healthy and nutritious = disgusting and detestable. Also, my mother kept nagging me to eat them, and even tried to force-feed me those “little nasties for grannies.” In my childish mind, I thought only grannies should eat fruits because that’s when you start worrying about your health and how long  you can delay inevitable old age and death. And I was a rebellious kid. The more my mother begged me to eat fruits, the more I developed an aversion to them. I know, I was an evil, intolerable little terror.

One of my least favorite fruits, however, was anything citrus. Oranges, grapefruits, pineapple. I loathed them all, and could not appreciate its soury-puckery-sweetness or its zesty juiciness.

Then one day, my parents and I were out having dinner at a local food court (at that time we were still living in Singapore). I, of course, happily dived into my adult-sized Western meal of fish and chips, licking my grease-smeared fingers.

But then…my parents’ meal arrived: Pineapple fried rice. In a halved-and-scooped pineapple. With the golden, fragrant contents still sizzling inside. With a generous topping of fresh coconut and crispy fried onions and pork floss and fresh chopped cilantro.

My eyes buggered. And suddenly the deep-fried potatoes in my mouth lost all taste and appeal. My mouth watered, but not for fish and chips. God-damned, they looked like dog food (which they are) compared to my parents’’ dish from heaven!!!

My mother noticed me staring, and she asked me if I wanted a taste. I immediately shook my head, with no better reason except that I was supposed to hate pineapples. No, I shall stay strong, I shall resist! I shall not be tempted by the evil Pineapple Seductress!

Poor, obstinate, foolish little Sophia. She picked mournfully at her half-eaten fish and chips, losing all appetite for them. She peeked longingly at the quickly dwindling Pineapple fried rice as her parents devoured it with gusto. They liked it so much, they ordered another one. Talk about double torture!

But! God was kind. My parents’ appetite was bigger than their stomach so they could not finish the second round of Pineapple fried rice. As the whole family got up and my parents turned to leave, I secretly and swiftly scooped a huge spoonful of it into my mouth.

And Lord Almighty…it was Pineapple heaven in my mouth. Never again did I disdain pineapples. When my mother put pineapple in front of me, I gobbled them up. This was probably the first lesson I had as a child in admitting my mistakes and being humble. I was humbled by the pineapple.

Anyway, as you’ve probably deduced already, today’s lunch was inspired by Pineapple fried rice. It’s been a while since I last had a “Mix-it-up” bowl, and I missed it. Here’s how I made today’s “mix-it-up” bowl:

Pineapple Fried Pilaf

The base: 1 cup cooked pearl barley, 1/4 cup black beans and 1/2 cup chopped roasted winter squash

The mix-ins: 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper, shitake mushrooms, 1 whole egg, 1/4 cup chopped pineapples, 1/4 cup raisins, 1 chopped seeded bird’s eye red chili

The dressing: mixture of 1/2 tablespoon fish sauce, 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon curry powder, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

The topping: tablespoonful of fresh grated coconut, sprinkle of chopped green onions and a spritz of lime

I first sautéed garlic and onions as I always do, but this time with the chili. Then tossed in the rest of the mix-ins except the egg. When everything was cooked and fragrant I cracked in the egg and broke it up. Next went in the base ingredients and the dressing. Stir-fry until heated through, dish it up with the toppings and mmmmmm~!

I relished each and every bite.

Obviously not as impressive as eating out of half a shelled pineapple, but every bit as delicious, in my opinion.

I loved all the different mix-ins in there, especially the juicy bursts of pineapple and the chewy plump raisins.

The only complaint is that my egg was lost in the mixture. I guess I broke them up a bit too much. Next time, I shall cook the eggs separately and mix them into the dish at the very end.

But still a lovely, wonderful dish. Thank God I humbled myself and gave pineapple a chance.

I also wanted to share this little snack with you as I know most of you love soy products. I used to really like these things in Korea, where they sell interesting flavors like pumpkin and sweet potato and black sesame, and was excited to find a similar kind here in Singapore:

It’s a dessert beancurd (a soft, silky version of tofu). They were on sale at my local grocery store, so I bought two flavors: mango and almond. I tried the mango first.

The verdict? Horrible. They were just way too sweet for me. All I could taste was the saccharine, overwhelming sweetness. I forced myself to eat half and then just had to toss it away. I still have the almond flavored one in the fridge, but asked Liwen if she could eat it for me, as she likes sweeter things than I do.

In place of that disgusting snack, I had another of my leftover meat “muffins”. Yum-o! Guess I’m a more savory person?

All right, I’ve gotta hurry to church for Discipleship training. I hope all of  you have a good one, and here’s today’s question of the day: Did you love healthy foods like fruits and vegetables when you were a kid? Or only “grew” to like them as you got older? (Like me)

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1. The Best of Both Worlds
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3. It’s time.
4. I kicked Eighteen Chefs’ ass
5. Stuffed with Happiness, Wrapped in Love

Tagged as: "mix-it-up" bowl, barley, beans, coconut, pineapple, pumpkin, tofu