Book Review: Wheat Belly by Dr. William Davis

I read. Perhaps too much at times. I usually have 3 books I am reading, and 1 am listening to going at the same time. It seems nuts, but it allows me to have some diversity.
The recent non-fiction, health nut book I decided to read was "Wheat Belly" by Dr. William Davis.
Thing is, I didn't need convincing to not eat gluten. We have no choice with a celiac, and I know I feel like total garbage if I eat it. And we've decided that with two parents not doing well with gluten, our little one shouldn't eat it either. So that's done. But here I went, wanting more data.

Long story short, I recommend this book to anyone willing to read a health book (I know some people just don't do that - or don't want to face the hard facts that your health and what you eat are linked). Dr. William Davis does a good job laying out the connection of wheat to your health. It's pretty darn clear. People are not meant to eat wheat in it's present day form.

What do I mean by 'present day form'? Read the book - he has a whole piece about the evolution of wheat and why 1950 wheat is different than 2013 wheat.

There were 2 things I wasn't too fond of:
1. He recognizes celiac disease, but sort of glosses over it. So if you have celiac, this will be interesting, but it's not the book to help you understand what 'it' is and how to really live with it.
2. He actually recommends not eating any grains or legumes. His point is to strictly portion control if you do consume them, but that the impact to blood sugar regulation is strong and therefore it should be avoided. Generally though, I personally feel like unless you have a very sensitive gut, the benefits outweigh everything else.

So check it out if you are curious about why you might feel bloated, have achy joints, water retention, eczema, cholesterol issues or excess weight. 

Is it time to clear the spice cabinet?

My dear yoga instructor and I were chatting on Sunday about the asafetida posting and in the middle of the discussion I thought I might send a reminder about keeping our spice cabinets tidy.

If you have not used a particular spice in 6-8 months - toss it.

Sad but true for us waste phobes. The flavors are probably no good anymore, and just like food, you want the essential bits in the spices to be alive to nourish you (because yes Virginia, spices have micro nutrients you can't get in other foods and are really good for you!)

So what are you to do? Here are some suggestions:

Invest in some small spice holders - like these - and consider

Doing a spice share (splitting with friends or family to cut down on cost and waste) or,

Going to a store like Rainbow foods in San Francisco. They not only have some really interesting spices, but they allow you to buy what you need. Bring your jars with you if you go this route.

Otherwise, only buy what you need. Consider growing fresh herbs to have some of the basics on hand at all times, and then if you venture into new ethnic foods (which I strongly encourage) just stick with the program. Don't just try it once and give up and let those spices go bad - when making your weekly menu make sure you have at least one of those recipes baked in so you can use your goods.

Quinoa Sausage Artichoke Casserole

A few weeks ago I had accidentally defrosted an extra Italian sausage from our freezer, and I decided to make a pantry type casserole (meaning I use whatever I have in the kitchen at that time to put something together). I made some quinoa (soaked and then cooked according to package directions, except reduced the water by about half since I had soaked it), peeled and trimmed a few baby artichokes I had on hand and then par-boiled them (meaning I cooked them in salted boiling water until just tender), and then I browned the sausage. I then oiled a glass pan and laid the quinoa down, sprinkled about 3/4 cup chopped parsley and thyme, then the sausage, then the artichokes. I topped it with a dollop of goat cheese on each artichoke half and baked at 350 for about 30 minutes (until goat cheese was brown).
So easy and so tasty! Next time I am going to mix the quinoa, herbs, and sausage with 1 or 2 eggs to help hold that mixture together.

You can make casseroles like this ahead of time and bake the night of any time. They are great because it uses whole grains (you can use rice, quinoa or millet for gluten free versions or spelt for a non gluten free option), everything gets cooked in advanced and all you do is assemble. It is also an easy way to get herbs into your meal. It also creates a balanced meal with good proteins, carbohydrates and fat with vegetables. The best way to round it out is to serve with a side of vegetables like a salad and you are good to go.

A Spring Meal to Entertain

I have talked about this before, but I wanted to share again.

The best way to entertain and leave people feeling taken care of and nourished, is to keep it simple.

Yes, simple is best! Some of my favorite TV chefs talk about this all the time - Mario Batali (an expert on cuisines of the different regions of Italy) and Ina Garten (a Martha Stewart type chef who puts high values on quality and refinement of food). If you pick, fresh, and good quality ingredients and cook them as they were made to be prepared, you will inevitable create a good meal.

A week ago we had guests over and I did just this. It was entirely driven from ingredients I found at the farmers market and my awareness about what spring menus should include. Here is what we prepared:Green Salad with Italian Dressing
Roast Chicken cooked on a vertical roaster and stuffed with lemon, rosemary, sage, thyme and oregano
Quinoa with fava bean and pea puree
Roast baby artichokes and zucchini (roasted in chicken drippings)

Why each item was selected
Spring is one of the best times for chicken. Eggs are also abundant right now. The herbs which were stuffed into the chicken not only impart flavor, but also have their own special nutrition and now that I have my herb garden out front, I have no excuse but to use them!
Spring is also a great time for veggies like artichokes and zucchini. Here in Half Moon Bay we almost always have artichokes. They are great for the liver and gall bladder, and spring is definitely a good time for cleansing and supporting the liver. I used baby artichokes for this meal - the trick with either baby or full artichokes is to peel back to the tender leaves, trim the tops and bottoms, par boil (boil for a few minutes until just soft) and then roast so you still get a tender but crispy texture.
Fava beans and peas are also some of the lighter plant items like fava beans and peas. Served with quinoa (which I soaked the night before to help with digestibility) is an easy way to deliver their taste without overbearing the palette.
Lastly, the green salad is a great way to get herbs, plus fat with the olive oil and very nice flavor. Not to mention fiber, vitamins and bulk to the meal.

Dessert was simply fruit (strawberries and raspberries) alongside Coconut Bliss ice cream. This is a great product based on coconut milk and meat, agave nectar (which in moderation I am a fan of compared to other sugar products). Again, really simple so it was easy on me, and everyone left feeling great.

Curry Clarification

I wanted to let everyone know that I will be posting my Indian curried recipe next week. And I wanted to clarify that Ethnic Curries (Indian, Thai, etc) are not the same as the yellow curry powder you get from McCormick or find in egg salads or chicken salads.
Just for the record, I don't even have that in my pantry because something about those flavors just makes me sick.
Indian curries vary in technique, but are a mixture of spices like fennel, cumin, coriander (cilantro seeds), cayenne, paprika, turmeric and more. Sometimes the seeds are used, sometimes the ground versions. Just depends.
Thai curries I refer to usually are more chilies plus lemon grass, kefir lime leaves, coconut, etc.

If you were worried that I was using the yechy yellow curry powder, rest assured the recipes I am making are much more complex and tasty than that. I particularly like these recipes because they take something as simple as a vegetable and spice them up, make them fun and you will want to simply snack on just this. I kid you not!
From a health perspective, herbs and spices are considered a booster food in my book. They pack a good amount of trace elements that you don't get from other foods. We know that for example, yellow spices like turmeric and saffron are very good for liver support. We also know that things like

Spicy Turmeric Chicken Soup

I love making soups for dinner with random stuff in the fridge. Especially when I totally jack something as simple as chicken up in the crockpot...again, whoops.
In any case, dry chicken is great in soup because it gets all shredded and no one can tell! So you can still tell yourself that you are the perfectionist and Martha Stewart you always knew yourself to be...

In any case, I start my simple soups with 4 ingredients I always have in my fridge: onion, carrot, celery and olive oil or butter or your choice.

I get that all softened and then I toss in as much stock or a mixture of stock and water that I have on hand. Add salt and then add the softer vegetables and the chicken (if you have). This week I had the following in my fridge, and all just happened to go great with the turmeric chicken flavors (think Indian or Middle Eastern):
fennel, thinly sliced
green beans
spinach

Spinach cooks really quickly so it went in last. I had the soaked brown rice already cooked so it was simple assembly. You just simmer the stock with the veggies and the leftover chicken. Then place a portioned scoop of brown rice in each bowl, and ladle in as much soup as you would like.
EASY! Very nutritious.

Weekly Menu 3/2/09

This weekend was majorly busy for us, and this week is equally nuts. Means no time to really think about a meal plan and no time to do serious grocery shopping and preparation. So what to do? We all have this happen on a regular basis. Typically the answer is not eating well rounded and balanced meals, or grabbing the telephone to call in an order. While that could still happen this week (and I am okay with that because 80-90% of the time, I do what it takes to eat as best as I can), I made a few simple efforts to make sure we had meals for this week.
Here is what I did:
1. Started defrosting a few soups I have in the freezer for quick meals when we come home so it is just there and ready. This has been easy since the past few weeks we have had a few soups. I just double the recipe or wrap up what we can't eat and in a few weeks you have another meal. Easy!
2. Made sure I had a few greens that cook quickly (spinach, chard, dandelion) and a few raw veggies to snack on. All I have to do is spend 20 minutes today chopping and sauteing and storing away for lunches throughout the week.
3. Bought a pre-made rotisserie chicken. $10 for a natural chicken at our local New Leaf is not too bad. I shred it, mix it with raisins and celery and walnuts and some homemade mayonnaise that we keep on hand (YES, this is worth the effort and learning curve) and top that on spinach and you have a delicious and healthy and quick meal with just a little help from the store.
4. Picked two proteins I could make quick and easy meals out of. This week we did a pork roast because it was on sale and will mix it with veggies and curry paste. The second is a good natural sausage with onion and bell pepper and a salad.
5. I have enough veggies that are quick cooking to do a nice vegetarian meal. I need to make rice for the curry anyway so all I have to do is soak lentils at the same time and cook those up. The lentils and the rice with the vegetables will provide a complete protein so we save money but nourish ourselves with a well balanced vegetarian meal.

All in all this should hold us over all week. Here is what we are doing:

Monday: Waldorf chicken salad over spinach with vegetable puree soup
Tuesday: Pork and vegetable curry over soaked brown rice
Wednesday: Celeriac root soup with sausages and bell pepper and onions
Thursday: Brown rice and lentils mixed with grilled zucchini and radicchio with citrus vinaigrette
Friday: Leftovers

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!
We started the year off in Napa, CA this year and let me tell you - that is the best way to start the year! Rang it in with a fantastic meal at the Culinary Institute (Greystone), massage and mineral pools, then our two favorite wineries Sullivan and Fontanella, ate at Bottega in Yountville (a Michael Chiarello restaurant - he was there and it was fabulous!) and then Ad Hoc (a Thomas Keller restaurant and a heck of an experience - make reservations!!). I am a seriously full, but happy camper right now.
A very special thanks to Jeff and Karen Fontanella for a fantastic tasting experience and visit! For those who love wine, love my blog, love to eat and know where your stuff is coming from, you have to visit them. Not only are they good people (that is a Southern term I picked up from my father in law), but they have a beautiful tasting room and property the winery is situated on, and....the wine is great! Anyway, I wanted to talk about them not only because I was appreciative, but if you are going to the Napa area, give them a call and stop by because you won't ever have a tasting experience quite like this. It is better than any winery on the main strip and the price is right and so are the people and the ambiance.
This was also a good trip because it was a reminder of how I practice food and food coaching. When we do Napa we stay away from the super touristy scene and go for really good food and wine and the experience. Like our trip with Jeff and Karen at Fontanella we were able to spend time talking about wine, the Valley, food, and how it all comes together. It's about connection. At Ad Hoc we had a really interesting upscale dining experience with a casual atmosphere and reasonable prices. Just things you don't do everyday, but when you do it you realize how much you love it and how everyday or week should have a little piece of that.
This year look out for more regular postings (sorry about the lag at the end there!) and more seasonal talk. To start this week for meals we have the following on tap:
Sunday: Slow Cooker Beef Stew with our Fontanella Cab we picked up on Friday
Monday: Winter vegetable soup (From Nourishing Traditions pg 213), roast chicken, Roast brussel sprouts
Tuesday: Winter vegetable soup with sausage and peppers (recipe from Lidia Bastianich), green salad
Wednesday: Veggie puree pancakes (Nourishing Traditions pg 412), salad and grilled flank steak
Thursday: White fish (fresh from Fisherman Porter) in a lemon caper white wine sauce, green salad, vegetable patties
Friday: Mediterranean fish soup, green salad

Stay tuned for an update on our Christmas Crab feast. I am having some issues getting photos up which is why I held off.

Happy Holidays - Sugar is Here

Happy Holidays!
I have been a bit slow in blogging lately (thank you to my loyal followers who still checked in!) and I promise you some great things have been brewing for L. Little Food Coaching for 2009 in the meantime.
I wanted to take some time this month to talk about some of these holiday things that creep up and share with you how I have dealt with them successfully over the years. I thought I would start with sugar.
I not only love to cook, but I love to bake. And above all else, I just love to eat and feed people. I love the smiles, the satisfaction of nourishing them and the simple sharing that happens when you eat with people. Plus, I like the compliments! In any case, I have a few things I make that are classics and Ina Gartens Outrageous Brownies are in that group. Oh me oh my a recipe that starts with a pound of butter and 2 lbs of chocolate cannot be bad...seriously. There are also 2 cups of sugar and white flour in there. Now, these are not foods that are nutritious (they actually do the opposite), they are not something I would recommend you seek out, but every now and then it is fun and it is great for memory lane to make baked goods with these ingredients.
Lesson 1: Moderation. These are ingredients for the every now and then. Try on a regular basis to use substitutes like sucanat or honey for sweetness instead of white sugar, but if you find a great recipe that you like as is, just keep it that way but don't go overboard.

This particular recipe of hers makes 20 large brownies. I made them because I was going to a friends house for an event and brownies sounded good to both of us. I forgot to cut it in half, so there are still about 16 brownies to do something with. They are still in my fridge and this is the reason I was reminded to do this post. DO NOT KEEP THEM THERE!
Lesson 2: If you make extra, keep enough for yourself to just satisfy your indulgence or sweet tooth (one small square per day for a few days) and then stir up that feeling of St. Nick and share with friends, co workers, etc. You just don't need all that and keeping it in the house will provoke you to eat it.

All in all, keep white sugar and white flour and these refined foods out of your kitchen, but every now and then let it in and really enjoy it with a solid recipe and share it with friends and family. If you feel bad taking something out of your kitchen, put something back in - like carrots, celery, bell pepper or the like. Basically something healthy to snack on that nourishes you!

Cheers!
Remember, whole foods, whole meals

Giving in Times of Difficulty

I wanted to write this sooner, but here I am, barely in front of the food drives probably asking you for donations already. I wanted to post about it sooner because every year I donate and then volunteer at the food bank in our county (sorting food, packaging up, etc) and every year I do it around this time of year. That is good and giving to your community in any way is essential - remember it takes a village to raise a family. But what they remind us of each time is that people need to eat year round!
Right now is tough with the economy the way it is. And I am not here to whine about that. I have a degree in economics and fortunately that made me pretty comfortable with market fluctuations a long time ago. That is not what this is about. Instead, recognize that it is not easy for anyone, and reach out. A little goes a long way. Truly.
And in your own home, consider whole foods and whole meals. Just because the economy is taking a dive doesn't mean you should only eat ramen noodles and toast. It is the perfect time to be mindful about your eating and bring more of it to your home, eat locally and seasonally. Because as I talk a lot about on this blog, that is not just the healthiest way to do it, but it is also the most cost effective way to do it!

If you live in the Bay Area and are interested in donating or volunteering, you can find more details here: http://www.2ndharvest.net/

The Ol' Fashioned Way

I heard something funny the other day (okay, possibly this won't be funny to you, but humor me). Someone said 'Oh yeah I am going to try to lose weight the old fashioned way - Weight Watchers'.
Where to begin here. True, that is a program that has worked for a number of people including many celebrities. True, it can teach people how to eat without overeating.
False, it is in NO way the old fashioned way. Eating foods from a box, counting calories and points is not how generations before us kept healthy.
So let me share with you that the old fashioned way to managing weight is focusing on whole foods and whole meals. No counting calories, no counting points, no warming up food from a box in minutes in the microwave, no eating on the run. I get that people are busy and I get that it can be stressful to plan meals and put it all together (I can help with this, don't forget to check out my web site at www.LLittlefoodcoaching.com). But remember that every little bit counts, and with each week you can add a new habit from the real old days that brings you back to a way of life that uses nutrition to stay healthy.

Celebrity Chefs and the Home Cook

I was watching a commentary show with Anthony Bourdain yesterday with him and about 5 other professional chefs. They were basically sitting around eating fabulous food, and commenting on various questions and opinions about food, international experiences, worst restaurant experiences, etc. One of the questions Anthony asked was 'do you think the rise of celebrity chefs has been helpful or will it be detrimental?'. He adds to it 'let me give you the worst case scenario - Rachael Ray'. I started laughing. I like Rachael, but the way he phrased it.

Funny question to ask I thought, but I listened. Everyone had the same opinion as me, which is that anything that motivates people to get excited about food and cooking in their own home is a good thing. I am a big FoodTV person, as well as Fine Living Network and then I have a few shows on PBS I watch too. I just set the DVR to record a variety of shows, and then I spend probably a total of 1-2 hours a week watching them. I don't watch the whole thing, I skim - kind of like when you skim a book. Just so I get the idea. Plus most all of them post their recipes online now. It is great for inspiration, learning new techniques, history and recipes.

So if you don't already, try to find some inspiration from a celebrity chef to get you cooking more at home.

Snacks: Nut free and Handy

One of the challenges of snacks, especially for school age children, is having something that is healthy, handy (doesn't require utensils or complicated preparation), interesting, and in many schools today, nut or peanut free. I came up with a few ideas I wanted to share to build on my Super Snacks posting . I have also recently heard feedback that schools are not allowing chips or anything that resembles a chip or cracker allowed on campus....comments on that later. Let's get to snackin'!

Good ol' ants on a log: Remember these? Perfect to go snack with vegetables, fruit and then your choice of a filling can add a dairy or good fat serving in there too. I like celery with peanut butter and raisins, but you can also do almond butter (some schools are only peanut free), cream cheese, or goat cheese. You can also do currants (a more sour fruit) instead of raisins. Other dried fruits would be fun and tasty as well. All you do is cut the celery stalk into thirds. Fill with cheese or nut butter and line the fruit on top - as if they were ants crawling on a log.

Date rolls: Dates are great for to go snacks and they combine really well with a number of flavors. They are also quite sweet, but because we are talking about a whole fruit and not just juice for example, it has all the fiber and vitamins and minerals needed to best digest it. I like dates processed in the food processor with a bit of water, good coconut flakes (no sulfites added), perhaps a bit of pure cocoa powder, pine nuts or almonds if nuts are ok - all rolled into small balls. 2 of these little bad boys is the perfect amount to regulate blood sugar and keep someone going until their next main meal.

Raw Vegetables: Simple, I know. But one of the best snacks is some raw carrots, celery, bell pepper, broccoli, cauliflower, snap peas or edamame (generally I steer clear of processed soy products and try to focus on either fermented soy like miso or whole soy like edamame).

Asparagus Rolls: Usually you see these at fancy dinner parties, but I think you can make them a tasty and fun snack. Lightly blanch your asparagus stems in lightly salted water. Wrap with a bit of good quality ham or turkey that has been thinly sliced. You can also add a bit of goat or cream cheese in between the meat and asparagus.

Flax Muffins: There is a really great recipe for flax muffins on the back of Bob's Red Mill flax meal. You can also find it on their web site here: http://www.bobsredmill.com/recipes_detail.php?rid=781
You could easily take the nuts out, and I don't add the sugar at all - you have enough with all the fruit. If you really wanted to, add half the amount in the form of sucanat (a better sweetener to use as it is a more whole product). These would pack a good carbohydrate, fruit and fat punch. Please don't fear fat, it doesn't make you fat...more on that another time.

Sushi Sammies: In our family we call sandwiches, 'sammies'. And I like to make my own sushi - it is easy! No need for fancy rollers - just use a tea towel. Basically lay a tea towel out, and put the nori (dried seaweed) on top. Put about 1/4 cup cooked brown rice on top and then add thinly sliced cucumber, carrots, smoked salmon, goat or cream cheese and/or cooked mushrooms at the top of the nori roll (you pick what to put in). Start the roll by hand, and then wrap the tea towel around the nori and keep tightly rolling. Cut carefully with a sharp knife into equal pieces.

Bagels and Cheese-Veg Spread: I think this is a perfect area to make your own cheese spread to add to a wholesome bagel (think whole wheat, spelt, etc with no weird ingredients). You can pulse some cream cheese, ricotta or goat cheese in a food processor with your favorite herbs, salt and pepper, a bit of olive oil and some steamed spinach, artichoke hearts and/or eggplant. Top with a slice of tomato and you have a tasty to go sandwich. Instead of cheese you can also make baked veggie patties or maybe chicken nugget patties with extra vegetables added in.

A friend and fellow blogger of mine makes these, and you could easily adapt to remove the nuts: http://www.mydailydiner.com/2008/09/hairy-golf-balls.html

Chocolate

I love chocolate. Typically I always have some kind of good quality chocolate in the house for when I have cravings and to add a little something extra to dessert or when guests are over.

The definition of good quality is something without extra additives, a dark chocolate (I prefer to go in the 70% cocoa range), and preferably something organic. I think it is a good idea to keep things like chocolate in your house because that way if you are craving it, you have already made the choice before hand to give yourself a good quality product.

Yesterday at the farmers market I came upon the Go To Chocolate booth and stopped because my friend had just picked up one of their Go To bars on Wednesday at a different farmers market and was RAVING about it. So we stopped and spoke to the owner and her daughter about the products and process. Fantastic philosophy, great packaging (I don't care, packaging is sort of a big deal to me - at least I am aware of it :) ) and nice people. So I bought the vegan sample box and tasted it today with my husband. He is not a choco-holic and he really appreciated these bad boys. All natural products, and just really great flavor combinations.
I am adding Go To Chocolates to my list of favorite gifts to give and favorite chocolates to have around. I particularly liked the blood orange olive oil chocolate truffle (they infuse the olive oil with blood oranges in the pressing process and Go To uses olive oil to soften the chocolate). And I am not an orange and chocolate person - this was different.
You can look them up on the web at: http://www.gotochocolate.com/index.html

Apologies for no photo.....they were too good :)

Balance it Out

The responses I get are interesting when people find out I am a food coach. Generally I think a food coach is associated with a rigid eater with nothing but salad and poached chicken...ok kidding, no one thinks I eat that way. However, with the holidays approaching especially, I am getting a lot of 'This is terrible for you I know' or 'You would die if you knew what I ate this weekend'. And this comes up with simple things like chocolate.
Truth is, it is about balance. It is about having good moments and bad - in a day or a week. I don't have the source at my fingertips, but there is some statistic that Americans gain an average of 5 pounds between Thanksgiving and the New Year - every year. Top that with a serious problem of not getting on track again and dropping the weight again, we get the current obesity epidemic.
So know that I don't believe in dieting, I don't believe in cutting food out of your diet (if you are a healthy person without food allergies or sensitivities, etc), but rather focus on enjoying food and cooking and find a program that for the most part serves your health!

Crockpot Success: Black Beans and Pork

I want to begin this post with a note about my crockpot history. I will keep it short - I have only made one thing I actually liked in it. This made #2! It was great, and really really easy. The great thing about anything crockpot is it has the taste and love of an all day cooked meal, and really all you have to do is throw the ingredients into the pot, and set it. I actually made this on Sunday because I knew I would just want to warm it up after my long day today. We made some homemade salsa, cut up an avocado and scooped out some organic Greek yogurt and served with a salad and it was DELISH!

We used thick Greek style yogurt instead of sour cream like the recipe called for. Two reasons, whenever I buy sour cream it is usually for one recipe - and I don't like to waste. This week I am doing two other recipes that use yogurt as a sauce, and the plain thick yogurt tastes just like sour cream. Better for you too - give it a try next time.

The recipe originally came from Real Simple magazine. You can find it here: http://food.realsimple.com/realsimple/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1694943

I made it spicier and I would recommend not adding the salt until the end. It made the bean skins hard on the outside and if you add the salt after it cooks it should eliminate that issue. Two other things we changed is we seared the pork in a pan before putting in the crockpot, and we cooked this for 5 hours, not 4 thus making it more like a stew and not soup.



Ingredients:

2 12 oz bottles of lager beer (I used Sheiner Bock - highly recco this choice)

2 tablespoons chopped canned chilies in adobo and 1 tbls of adobo sauce

1 tsp cumin

1 large onion, chopped

1 pound dried black beans, rinsed

1.5 lbs boneless pork butt

Kosher salt

Greek style yogurt

Salsa

Avocado

Cilantro



Heat a pan to high with a tsp of oil. Sear the pork on all sides.

In the crockpot bowl toss in the pork, beans, beer, cumin, onion, chilies, adobo sauce and 3 cups water. Cover and set on high for 5 hours (depends on your slow cooker and whether you want this more like soup or like stew).

Add 1 tbls kosher salt. Stir and adjust according to taste.

Top with a scoop of yogurt, avocado and salsa.



Re-use in tacos, casseroles or eat on it's own!
Excuse the lack of photo. I was experimenting with the new light box, and it wasn't working and we were hungry...so we ate :)

Back in Style

I'm back after a few weeks of not blogging - but back in style!
It has been busy and hectic, but one of the things that has kept me going are freezer meals, adding salad and quickly sauteed vegetables to relatively plain meals (like brown rice and chicken), and good quality snacks.
I wanted to share another power snack item with you. I call them Quinoa Power Drops (if you wanted to entice someone who is more timid you can call them cookies - but these are no conventional cookies). The original recipe was something I found on the Bauman forum, but modified slightly.
These are great for a substantial snack because they pack good protein, carbohydrates, fat (anti microbial from the coconut oil and flakes) and just enough sweetness from the fruit to be tasty.

Quinoa Power Drops

Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa
1/2 banana. mashed
8 Medjool dates, chopped
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1 heaping tablespoon organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
1 heaping tablespoon organic roasted almond butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Makes approximately 16 cookies
Directions:
1. Rise 1 dry cup of quinoa in water. Add 2 cups of water to quinoa in a medium pot. Bring quinoa to a boil, and then simmer for about 12 minutes.
2. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
3. Transfer the quinoa to a large mixing bowl.
4. Add coconut oil and mix it into the quinoa.
5. Mix in banana, almond butter, and dates.
6. Add sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and shredded coconut, and mix thoroughly.
7. Sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg into the dough and mix everything together.
8. Grease a baking sheet with coconut oil or use a silpat pad.
9. Use a large spoon to pick up a heaping tablespoon of the dough and form it into a ball with your hands. Place the ball onto the greased cookie sheet and press the middle of the ball down gently to form a circle a bit more than 1/2 an inch thick. Repeat until all of the dough has been made into circles on the baking sheet.
10. Bake for 50 minutes.
11. Turn off the oven and allow the cookies to cool for 15 minutes on the baking sheet. Then transfer the cookies into a sealed airtight container.

Summer Pasta Toss

Change of plans on the ricotta being added to the pasta (too much traffic to go out and get it). However, it still turned out fabulous. Pasta tosses are nice when you are doing an emptying of the fridge, but also are great for summer. Summer is almost at an end and I wanted to do something special with the blossoms and artichokes I had picked up on Saturday. Lemon and just a hint of pecorino or Parmesan are a nice touch to make this dish still light but flavorful - so you don't feel like you are eating something really healthy. You can change the ingredients up based on what you have locally and what you like. The trick to this dish is seasoning as you go, layering veg in according to how quickly it cooks, and topping it off with just the right amount of zing to entice the palette.
Here is the recipe:

1 large handful angel hair pasta
Water to boil pasta

4 baby artichokes, trimmed and outer leaves peeled, thinly sliced
1 small red onion
3 tbls olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 small zucchini
1/2 cup swiss chard
1 cup mushrooms
1/2 cup beef broth (or water or chicken stock - I had beef broth from the beef stout pie recipe already out)
1/4 cup red or white wine (optional)
1/2 lemon zested
1/2 cup pecorino romano
4 zucchini blossoms sliced

Boil the water for the pasta.

Warm the oil over medium high heat and saute the red onion for 2 minutes. Toss in the artichokes hearts, saute for 2 minutes. Toss in the red wine and beef broth and cover to let the artichokes steam for 2 minutes.
Salt your pasta water and toss in the pasta. Should take about 4 minutes. You want it al dente.
Toss in the zucchini and mushrooms and cover for another 2 minutes. Add more broth or water if it gets too dry.
Toss in the chard and cover for 2 more minutes. Season at each layer of veg you add.
Toss the drained pasta into the vegetable mixture. Plate the pasta mixture up and top with cheese, lemon zest and zucchini blossoms.
Enjoy!

Weekly Menu

Here is this weeks menu. Trying to savor the last few weeks when it really feels like summer.

Monday - Chile verde casserole (using leftove chile verde from this weekend)
Tuesday - Turkey meatballs and whole wheat pasta with Nonnie's sauce and a salad
Wednesday - Grilled chicken with brown rice and grilled radicchio salad
Thursday - Panini night (grilled vegetable and pesto sandwiches - using leftover veg from Wednesay)
Friday - Napa inspired appetizer and a movie night - olives, wine, cheese, bread, steamed artichokes and a salad

Something this menu utilizes is reusing ingredients in different forms. For example on Wednesday, the grill will already be fired up for the chicken so I will do some extra vegetables on the side because they reheat well, and use them in panini's on Thursday. This helps cut down on cooking time, but makes sure I have the components to assemble a fresh meal for myself each day.

Super Snacks

I think snacks are often overlooked when packing a lunch (assuming one even packs their lunch). Snacks help regulate your blood sugar, keep your metabolism going, and keep you from overeating. A well thought out snack can be really easy and does not require a ton of effort. Here are some ideas:

• Plain yogurt with an ounce of almonds and dried cranberries
• Almonds or walnuts and cranberries
• Hard boiled egg and a handful of raw vegetables like carrots, celery and bell pepper
• Hummus and raw vegetables
• Brown rice cakes with peanut butter
• A piece of fruit or veg
• 3 slices cheese on ak mak with celery or carrots

Snacks can also be a little more fancy. Here are some ideas:

• Mini tofu, lettuce, tomato and avo sammy - 'Marinate' 2 slices of tofu in soy sauce and toasted sesame oil. Pan fry or grill to get a bit of carmelization on it. Toast 2 slices of Ezekial bread (sprouted grain bread), spread 1/2 avocado over the two slices, layer the lettuce, tomato and tofu. Could also add sprouts.
• Nori-Romaine boats - Take 2 whole romaine leaves and layer in a sheet of nori (toasted, dried seaweed) in each. Spread a dollop of hummus and top with more veg or slices of roast chicken.
• Spinach salad - take spinach and toss with a bit of balsamic, garbanzo beans, walnuts and cranberries.
• Fruit smoothies - I have a number of favorite combinations but here are a few: frozen cherries and blueberries with almond milk, banana and strawberry with soy milk, strawberry, blueberry and banana with rice milk or there is also the Orange Julius style with orange juice, banana and egg white protein powder.
• Not really a fruit smoothie, but I love 1/2 banana, with rice or soy milk and 1 tbls peanut butter with vanilla protein powder (we primarily use a pure egg white protein powder with no weird ingredients in it)

If you have kids many of these can be adapted. Try separating the ingredients out and letting them assemble. Or try making fun shapes. Many of these involve various colors so it can turn into a learning game too. And if they are going through a phase where they don't dig on veg, don't worry - just focus on good quality and wholesome ingredients so you feel good about whatever it is you are giving them. Meaning, choose brown rice cakes over white rice, or organic/natural vegetables and fruits and organic dairy products.