I have always been prone to backaches. I seldomly have a headache, or tummy ache (unless you count the few months before I found out about my wheat-allergy). But, my back is usually killing me. And, trust me, I have just about tried everything to get rid of them. I have been to physiotherapy countless times, trying different methods from traditional massages to osteopathy; I have tried acupuncture, weight lifting, special back exercises…all of which worked a little, but never completely, and, most importantly, never long-term. And no, that’s not due to the fact that I just stopped doing my exercises after physiotherapy started.
I have the dawning suspicion that it’s due to two factors: first of all, I spend most of my time sitting hunched over a book at my desk, which is a killer for somebody whose back is already imperfect. And there’s nothing I can really change about that, I simply cannot read highly philosophical texts AND understand them while walking around or standing. The second factor is definitely stress. Over the years, I have realized that my backaches are always worse during the times that I feel under pressure…which brings us back to my feeling under pressure due to my exams. Boy, we haven’t hit that road for a long time – I have been watching my whining about exam-related stress the last few posts (and found other things to bitch about).
One thing that helps a little when my back starts killing me is yoga. Now, yoga in itself has a great calming effect on me, but it also stretches out all those muscles that start cramping together if you only ever sit on a chair, which is a little painful, but helps a lot. Also, I have a power yoga DVD, so it is at least a little proactive toning-wise.
Tonight, after my 45 minutes of yoga. I felt exhilarated; my backache was nearly gone, and I felt very light and relaxed. That’s the awesome thing about yoga – all you do is concentrate on your breathing for 45 minutes, and you feel like a better person after it! I was also feeling hungry, so I started making dinner, wanting to try out the Spelt-Tortilla recipe I found. I was extremely impressed by how easy it was and how yummy-looking it turned out:
I made half of the recipe mentioned above, which made 3 tortillas. I can’t take credit for the awesome recipe, but I suggest you try it out, especially if you can’t eat the ones found at standard supermarkets!
As for the final “product”, this is what it looked like:
Isn’t it awesome how the maple-mustard-dressing is oozing out of the stuffed tortilla? (I am using the word “awesome” a lot today – don’t know what that’s about!)
Stuffed Spelt-Tortilla With Maple-Mustard-Dressing
Ingredients:
for the stuffing:
- 1 1/2 tomatoes, diced
- 1 green onion, chopped
- a piece of cucumber, diced
- 3 lettuce leaves (I used romaine lettuce)
- 1/2 avocado, sliced
- herbal salt
- salt & pepper
- tomato purée
for the maple-mustard-dressing:
- 2 tsp. maple syrup
- 3 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tsp. mustard
Procedure:
1. Mix the green onion, tomato, and cucumber together in a bowl, and add a bit of herbal salt.
2. Mix together the maple-mustard dressing by stirring together all the ingredients.
3. Lay one to two lettuce leaves on the tortilla, and add 1/4 of the avocado. Lightly salt and pepper.
4. Spread out half of the tomato-onion-cucumber mixture on top.
5. Add 2-3 tsp. of the maple-mustard-dressing.
6. Add some tomato purée on the sides, which not only adds flavor, but functions as a “glue” for rolling up the tortilla.
7. Roll together and fix with a toothpick. Garnish with a bit of balsamic reduction, if you like.
(Like the color of my nails? It’s coral! It’s awesome, too, because it reminds me of summer in this autumny weather. 🙂 )
I would suggest cutting it in half when eating it (at least if you plan on eating it with your hands, and getting the yummy maple-mustard-dressing all over your fingers, forcing you to lick them after devouring two of these…yup, I’m talking about me, myself, and I).
Of course, the stuffing can be varied with any other veggies, but I promise that this combo, especially with the sweet-savoury dressing, will completely suprise and dazzle you!
hitbycoconuts 