How we eat seems quite simple: food, spork, mouth, repeat. Taste, however, is a matter much more complex. It’s a process that involves taste buds, neurotransmitters, the brain and a whole host of other biologic functions. We have nerve endings that fire, transmitting neural impulses to the brain allowing us to process, identify and experience and taste what we are eating. There is still so much we do not know or fully understand about how our brains function, but more and more is being learned every day. Specifically, more is being learned about how taste and how we eat are connected.
Have you ever noticed how when you eat foods with some combination of sweet, salty and/or rich flavors you tend to want to eat more foods with sweet, salty and/or rich flavors, whether it’s cured meat, chips or your sister’s birthday cake? Have you also noticed that when faced with a cookie or apple at snack time, you’re usually drawn more to the cookie? Can you blame kids, like those on Jamie Oliver’s recent Food Revolution TV show, for picking the souped-up sweet flavor of chocolate milk over plain old, delicious but decidedly not chocolaty milk? Dr. David Kessler, former commissioner of the FDA, in his book, helps us understand the science behind eating experiences like the ones above. He describes his holy trinity of flavors most patable to us: fat, salt and sweet. These are flavors that, unlike other flavors, trigger instinctive responses in us to eat more foods with the same taste of fat, salt and sweet. He points out that most manufactured food has these tastes in spades (do the slogans “betcha you can’t eat just one” and “once you pop, you can’t stop!” ring a bell?). Not only do they contain combinations of sugar, fat and salt but they have engineered substances that are sweeter than sugar, chemically restructured fats and amounts of sodium often in excess of our daily requirement. Sweet, salt and fat are a heady combination of flavors that sets off neurologic fireworks in us and the more concentrated, processed versions of the natural sources of sweet, salt and fat flavors triggers a proportionately more intense reaction. This combo stimulates the same part of the brain that heroin does and triggers instinctive responses in us to eat, eat, eat – instinct bred into our ancestors to prevent starvation in times of scarcity.
When we are constantly bombarded by these flavor fireworks, we can overstimulate the part of our brain that regulates how full we feel, how we taste and how we eat, knocking us off kilter. Suddenly, our innate ability to judge satisfaction, hunger and over-all equilibrium are compromised. With that fail-safe gone, we often eat and eat and eat, to satisfy the craving for more of those fireworks – eating more sweet, salt and fat. Kessler calls this being in a state of ‘hypereating’.
It isn’t impossible to regain our taste equilibrium, though. It just takes a little concerted effort to unlearn harmful eating habits and a willing palate.
For me, it started with a re-discovery of simple cooking. A pot of leek and potato soup, in fact. Before that, I admit to being one of those people who believed in the healthy promises of ‘fake food’. You know, artificial sweeteners, faux fats and the like. Hello 100-calorie pack snack foods and aspertane-spiked yogurt! I avoided the ‘real’ versions of those things in the attempt to make healthier food choices. The irony was, these fake versions were even worse for me and my sense of taste than the original versions! Artificial sweeteners are notorious for warping your sense of sweet and lets just say faux-fats like olestra are better off down the tubes where I eventually sent them. After becoming so used to these intense flavors, I really had to make an effort to train my palate back into appreciating more subtle flavors.
Thank goodness, I was able to begin that readjustment with a bowl of soup. There were all of maybe 5 ingredients in the dish, and tasting the result was a revelation to me. Suddenly, instead of SWEET! SALT! FAT! flavors overwhelming my taste buds, I was able to appreciate the more nuanced flavors of food cooked from scratch. A little salt, a little pepper, a kiss of butter, golden potato and melted leek. Food didn’t need fireworks to taste delicious. Once I knew what real delicious food was supposed to taste like (and perhaps, more importantly, I cut back on the fake stuff) I was able to get in better touch with my body’s needs for food and nourishment. Eating more real foods, simply prepared, I was able to help my overstimulated brain regroup and recalibrate my innate satiety and hunger detectors. Eating whole, minimally refined foods seems to be a recurring theme here. It’s true. Eating simply prepared grains, breads, vegetables and yes, even the occasional sweet treat made from whole, ‘real’ ingredients is just better for you all around than their highly processed counterparts. That said, do I still eat some processed foods? Sure. Sometimes, a girl is just going to enjoy an oreo. But I can approach it with caution and the knowledge of what those kinds of food really do to me, and how much better real food can be. We all can.
Kiija Manty-Miller I’m not a chef, not a PhD (although maybe someday I will be…), but someone who is passionate about food and cooking, a nut for nutrition and excited about eating well. I’m no poster child for fit America, but I’m someone who is taking on healthy living with hope, humility and a sense of humor. I’ll be stopping in once a month and share some of the insight I’ve gained on my way to more healthful living, inside and out.
We love oatmeal in our house. Every morning we waffle (no pun intended) between oatmeal, smoothies, eggs, or toast. And oatmeal always makes the day seem to go better! So when I ran across a recipe for baked oatmeal I thought, “hey, those are two of my favorite things!” so of course, I had to try it.
I didn’t immediately set out to make this oatmeal. Rather, it simmered for a good long while in the ideas-chamber in the back of my head. I wanted to pull out all the stops one morning to surprise Andrew and myself with something new and delicious, but still not too far off of one of our favorite choices. We’ve been trying to eat a bit better around here–when you look in our fridge, you will see lots of vegetables, whole things, lots of tupperware from left overs we’ve cooked. However, this has proven to be quite challenging. We both get into working grooves, so when lunch or dinner time rolls around, we are both so hungry that we don’t even want to think about cooking–but we do it anyway.
(let your steel cut oats soak over night with a dollop of yogurt. The acid from the yogurt helps soften the grains)
Once we get into making our meal, the tension tends to ease from the initial shock of “I’M HUNGRY! WHERE’S THE FOOOOOD!?!?” It makes me think of a particular Saturday night live skit with Chris Farley as a Gap Girl, ha. We’re not quite that bad, but we DO get hungry quickly. This is something I’ve been trying to problem solve–I love to cook, I LOVE to eat, and I really love feeding people, namely Andrew –so how can I make things just a little easier in this realm? Especially when we both tend to crave foods from opposite ends of the spectrum? I’ll get back to you on that one and let you know what we come up with. I think it’ll take a few brainstorming sessions together.
Meanwhile, enjoy this hearty, warm, dense, and spicy (cinnamon-y) baked oatmeal. The entire house smelled like Grandma had just finished baking Christmas cookies, the cinnamon wafting through the air made me delirious with anticipation. As for toppings, the sky is the limit. I really enjoy a dollop of real maple syrup, a grated apple, and minced flax seeds, maybe a scoop of coconut yogurt. Andrew likes his with brown sugar only, but today he did splash a little milk on top too. I’ve been grounding pumpkin seeds up into a powder and mixing it into his breakfasts which he wasn’t too excited about at first. The benefits of pumpkin seeds for men, and women (but flax is better for women) are immense–they lower the risk of prostate cancer, they protect mens bones, they are anti-inflammatory, they’re a rich source of minerals, protein and monounsaturated fat, and they lower bad cholesterol levels. He’s a good sport!
Cheers!
Baked Oatmeal via Nourished Kitchen
*feel free to experiment with different dried fruits, frozen fruits, and nuts! The first time, I made this just plain without any fruits or nuts and it was still fantastic.
1 pound steel cut oats 1 cup walnuts, or other nuts 2 tablespoons yogurt, kefir, whey or buttermilk (see sources), for soaking dash unrefined sea salt 6 pastured eggs 2 cups whole, fresh milk (see sources) up to ¼ cup maples syrup (optional) ½ cup raisins or dried cranberries ½ cup dried unsulfured apricots, diced 2 tablespoons cinnamon ¼ cup coconut oil, plus extra for greasing baking dish
Pour the steel cut oats and nuts into a ceramic container or mixing bowl.
Add enough filtered water to completely submerge your oats and nuts. Add a dash of salt and a two tablespoons of fresh yogurt, whey, kefir or buttermilk.
Allow the oats and nuts to soak, covered, overnight in a warm place in your kitchen – about eight to twelve hours.
After the mixture of oats and nuts has soaked overnight, dump them into a colander to drain and place the mixture back into the ceramic container or mixing bowl.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a 13 x 9-inch rectangular baking pan with coconut oil or another wholesome fat of your choosing.
Meanwhile beat together eggs, milk, maple syrup (if you’re using it), until well-combined and frothy.
Pour the mixture of eggs, milk and maple syrup over the soaked oats and nuts, stirring well to combine into a porridge-like mixture.
Gently fold dried fruit, cinnamon and coconut oil into the porridge-like mixture.
Pour the mixture into a greased baking pan and smooth it out with a rubber spatula to ensure even baking and a good appearance.
Bake in an oven preheated to 375 degrees Fahrenheit for forty to forty-five minutes or until the oatmeal achieves a pleasing golden-brown color on top, a knife inserted into its center comes out clean and free from liquid and the fragrance of baked oats, dried fruit and cinnamon perfumes your kitchen. If you can bear the wait, allow the baked oatmeal to cool for five to ten minutes before cutting into squares and serving.
YIELD: 12 to 16 servings
TIME: 10 minutes (preparation), 8 to 12 hours (soaking), 40 to 45 minutes (baking)
When I was little, one of my favorite parts of picnics, Fourth of July celebrations, and summer was my mom’s potato salad. It was a tried and true recipe, and simple to make–she would boil some red potatoes until soft, cut them up, and then toss them with a bottle of Newman’s Own Italian dressing. I couldn’t get enough of it.
Now a days, I don’t really buy salad dressings since discovering the variety and freshness of making my own. But this potato salad still haunts me. So I set to work figuring out how best to replicate it from scratch. I think I was surprised at how easy it actually was! Something about the childhood memory of the salad made it loom larger than life in my head. You know how memories are always colored by not just the food itself, but the experiences, the smells, and the people you shared it with. That’s why I was so surprised to find that I could make something that compares. No, my mom wasn’t there to share it with me this time around, but the next time I make it, she’ll be out visiting! And, it’s her birthday in a few days. Happy Birthday, Mom!
I also received a very special surprise from one of the lovely ladies I teach. She brought me the most beautiful little buttermilk cakes with fresh rhubarb from her garden in them–they were fantastic. Maybe she’ll share the recipe with us 
. Thank you so much, Elizabeth!
Potato Salad with Arugula and Garlic-Mustard Vinaigrette, recipe adapted from The Complete Tassajara Cookbook
The arugula, with its mustardy quality, brightly accents the potato, but if arugula is not available, spinach is a good green, leafy alternative.
2 pounds small red potatoes Water to boil them in 4 large shallots, thinly sliced 4 cloves of garlic, minced 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 1/2 teaspoon salt Pepper, freshly ground 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1/2 cup olive oil 1/2 bunch arugula or small spinach
Wash the potatoes and cut into bite-size chunks. Cook potatoes in boiling, salted water 6-8 minutes or until tender. Whisk shallots, garlic, mustard, salt, and several grinds of pepper together with the vinegar in large bowl. Whisk in the olive oil. Drain the potatoes. Toss with the vinaigrette. Cool for 20 minutes before adding the arugula, then fold it in to the potato salad. The dish can sit a while before serving to let the arugula soften and sweeten a bit, if desired. Adjust salt, pepper, and vinegar to taste before serving.
Cheers!
Today was a fantastic salad day. It was serendipitous because I had all of the ingredients on hand–so I had to make it (of course!). First off, let me explain what massaged kale is (other than pure-green-bliss). Kale is kind of hard in it’s raw form; it’s tense, it’s chewy, and super bitter–not the best–unless sauteed, baked, or, massaged with sea salt. And massaging works really with Dinosaur kale–the flat, dark green leaf, not the frilly leaves of Russian and other varieties of kale (although, you can use those too).
To massage kale: take about a teaspoon of nice sea salt and sprinkle it over washed dinosaur kale leaves cut into 1/4 inch wide strips all tossed into a bowl. It’s up to you if you want to leave the stems on–sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t. Then, using your hands, squeeze the kale vigorously, so that the kale softens and moisture begins to sweat out. Take a moment and taste a piece to see if you need to add a little more salt, it really brings out the moisture and softens up the leaves nicely. The result is delicious!
The dressing for this salad was light, refreshing, and perfect for the allergy season as there is no oil base for it and it’s packed with good vitamins. Basically, you take four tablespoons of good honey, squeeze a whole lemon’s juice with it, grate a piece of ginger the size of your thumb in there, (maybe a little more depending on how spicy you like things) stir it up well together and there you go! It compliments the salty, green-ness of the kale so fantastically, that it took me a while to realize that the health benefits of this dressing were out of the roof too. I couldn’t help but give myself a mental pat on the back for making something so healthy taste so delicious. Yes!
Plus, anything with avocado in it makes it about one hundred times better, in my opinion. And there was a whole one of those in there too! Double yes!
As for other news, I’m offering a great introductory rate for new Health Coaching clients now through May 30th. I also offer a 30 minute free health history consultation for those interested to see if it’s something you’d like to do with no obligations. It’s fun and a great way to get to know each other. Check out the Food Loyal website for more information.
Cheers!
Massaged Kale Salad, recipe adapted from Edward Brown’s The Complete Tassajara Cookbook
12-15 leaves dinosaur kale 1/2 to 1 teaspoon sea salt 4 tablespoons honey 4 tablespoons lemon juice (one whole lemon) 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger black or red pepper 1 apple 6 radishes 1 avocado, chunks or slices 1/2 cup roasted sunflower seeds*
Rinse off the kale, Cut crosswise into 1/4 inch pieces, including stems if using dinosaur kale. Sprinkle on 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and begin to squeeze the kale and salt vigorously with your hands so that the kale softens and moisture begins to sweat out. Taste it to see if you need any more salt, which you probably will. Massage the kale until it’s moist and tender.
Mix together the lemon juice, honey, and ginger, and combine with the kale. Toss together. Slice up the apple into small chunks, the radish, the avocado, add the roasted sunflower seeds and some pepper–toss it and serve. Amazing!
*to roast sunflower seeds, put into a shallow pan, preheat your oven onto 350 degrees F and bake for 10-15 minutes. For lighter a roast, 10 minutes, for a darker roast, 15 minutes. Enjoy!
The fresh chard at the farmers market is absolutely seductive. The rainbow of colors that peek out from the abundant foliage of green never fails to have a hypnotizing effect on me– I walk right up to them. I stop to admire the colors and the vibrancy at each farmer’s stall who sells them–even if I have already bough a bundle and am carrying it around. I’m hooked! And this spring season, it is has been love at first sight.
Chard has a distinct taste. To me, it tastes “green.” It has a grassy tang to it, a hint of bitterness, and it’s flavor hits you in the back of your throat and up near your nose. I have to be in the mood for the taste of chard–but I have been lately because of it’s seasonal abundance out here in the Pacific Northwest and, because it is just so beautiful.
During my musings flipping through The Complete Tassajara Cookbook, I’ve come to know and love the Chard with Lemon and Raisin salad. This salad hits all of the flavor points on our tongues: salty, sweet, bitter, pungent, astringent, and sour. That is a great indicator for a good tasting meal–at least it is for me! Why? Because I feel satiated and satisfied in my mouth, my stomach, and in my being. My being sometimes has a mind of its own–especially when soft ginger cookies are around the house, or Kouign Amann for that matter–and I just have to nibble. My will power, when it comes to my favorite treats, is not the best! Ah to be human…
Cheers!
Chard with Lemon and Raisins, recipe adapted from The Complete Tassajara Cookbook “A chard dish eloquent with the five flavors: salt, the sweet ripeness of raisins, the sunny vibrancy (tart) of lemon, the pungent of pepper (or ginger or green chili in the variation), the bitter of the roasted pine nuts. You could also understand this as the grassy leaf flavor of chard brightened with the flowery fruit of lemon and raisin, deepened with the earthiness of the nuts. Once you get the concept, many variations present themselves.” Serves 4-6 people
1 bunch chard 1/8 lemon 1 small leek or one medium yellow onion or one large shallot, diced 1/4 cup pine nuts 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/3 cup raisins salt pepper
Wash the chard and cut the stems crosswise into narrow pieces. Cut the leaves in half, then crosswise into 1-inch pieces. Cut off the ends of the wedge of lemon, and then cut crosswise as thinly as you can, peel and all (so delicious!). Slice the white part of the leek and as much of the green as you would like to use, and wash the slices to remove any dirt beneath the surface.
Toast the pine nuts (I used sunflower, pumpkin, and sesame seeds in mine) in the oven (350 degrees F for about 10-15 mins) or on top of the stove until browned.
Saute the leeks slices (or onion or shallot) in the olive oil for 2-3 minutes. Reduce the heat, and add the chard, lemon, and raisins along with a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Cover and cook until tender. Garnish with the roasted pine nuts.
Variations -Season with grated ginger or minced green chilies, along with the salt and pepper. -Use other dried fruit, especially dried apricots. -Use other roasted nuts or seeds, especially roasted, chopped almonds or pumpkin seeds.
In my quest for finding simple, fresh, and delicious recipes, I’ve re-discovered one of my favorite cookbooks: The Complete Tassajara Cookbook. I love the way Edward Brown approaches food and cooking. He is, after all, also a zen buddhist, so his calm and straightforward demeanor is really appealing to me. Brown infuses his recipes with stories and reminders to taste, touch, feel, and smell–so that the food turns out just how you would like it.
This is how a typical day has been going for me lately: work, meeting, teach class, meeting, work, work, oh, it’s dinner time! I’m STARVING! What do I EAT? Think about cooking? I’m too hungry to think! What do I have on hand? Nothing! Damn these whole grains! They take too long to cook!….and the digression continues until I end up making a cheese quesadilla or sauteing some kale in garlic (still not a bad option in a pinch and are looking for some greens!). So, The Complete Tassajara Cookbook now lives next to my bed. Each night I’ve been flipping through it to find 2-3 recipes I would like to make the next day and it has been a fantastic rescue. The nice thing about this book is that I have most of these things on hand. When I grocery shop, I try to avoid the “middle isles” of the store and stay on the periphery where there is fresh produce, dairy, the deli, and not a lot of processed junk. The other side to this is, well, it all needs to be made each night. Cooked. And sometimes I get overwhelmed by this.
Brown takes the guesswork out of simple yet amazing combinations of flavors and textures. He’s made it his life’s work to honor food and all of us who eat, and he’s done a great job at it! The other day I made his Garden Salad: red butter lettuce, minced shallot, spearmint, chives, avocado, salt + pepper, roasted sunflower seeds, and an olive oil balsamic vinaigrette dressing. Incredible.
Today I made his Apple Salad. In the book, it’s true title is Excellent Apple Salad which caught my eye. If Ed says it’s excellent, I’ve got to try this! was my first reaction. And it really did knock my socks off. Brown is a magician with flavors and making sure that all of them are present and delightful in a meal. Plus, most of the ingredients are things you probably have around your kitchen or in the bottom of your vegetable bin in your fridge. I know that my celery more often than not gets mushy before I actually use it! But I’m determined to change that. Enjoy this one of a kind salad! It’s like a flavor explosion, and truly excellent.
Apple Salad
3 apples (gala, pink lady, anything crunchy) 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 3 stalks celery, thinly cut into diagonal pieces 1 cup pistachios, walnuts, or almonds roasted* and chopped 1/2 cup raisins or currants 2 tablespoons honey 1 1/2 tablespoons sherry vinegar or apple cider vinegar 1-2 pinches of salt 1/4 cup fresh spearmint, minced
Slice the apples into quarters lenghtwise and cut out the cores. Then cut into 1/2 inch chunks, and toss with the lemon juice. Combine with remaining ingredietns,reserving the mint for garnish. Check seasoning: salty? sweet? sour? Garnish with the mint. *Note: to roast the nuts, put into a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes. Chop in a food processor or toss them on whole!
A separate post was in order for the abundance of amazing cooked foods that are at the Portland Farmer’s Market. I ran into a few friends there who specifically go to the farmer’s market to eat breakfast. I admit, that is a part of why I go each week. It’s really amazing eat a fresh breakfast made with the foods that you can then go buy! The chef’s who run their stalls are all genuinely happy to be there, chatting with customers between cooking and yelling out order names. Not only does market food taste better than most food because of the access to fresh ingredients, but I believe the market chef’s good nature and their happy energy honestly puts it over the top. It’s so true! Let’s do a little experiment–cook yourself something for dinner tonight that you really love and enjoy. Get into it–pour yourself a glass of wine, put on some of your favorite music, just let yourself be in your kitchen enjoying yourself. When you sit down to eat it, slow down. Notice how each flavor makes up the larger flavor of the dish. Notice them. Notice the textures and how they connect with the flavors. Then think about your experience cooking. Did you get upset? Did you get frustrated or irritated with something during the process? Or did you just let things be and went with the flow, allowing yourself into the flow? Now how does it taste? Still your favorite dish? Or are you thinking it could be better? I’d love to hear what happens if you try this!
I know that if my heart is not into making food, I don’t like it. It doesn’t taste good, it just makes me sad–my expectations are never met with how good a dish could be if I’m not present in the kitchen. Even if it’s something I really like to eat! If I’m not there, it can turn into crap really fast. But if I’m there and really present, and what’s even more fun is when Andrew is there too, we can cook up some pretty tasty meals together. One of his favorite questions to ask is “how much should I chop this?” and my usual response is “how do you want it to feel in your mouth?” And he always does it just right! Some things you want to have a little more bulk and be a bit bigger in your mouth, but some, you really want to finely chop, lending less texture but more flavor.
If you are in Portland, or ever happen to visit the Portland Farmer’s Market, my FAVORITE food vendor is the crepe-man. He lived in France for years learning how to cook. He and his wife (who is French) moved to Portland with their family but could not give up one of their favorite food from France: crepes. He’s in front twirling the batter on the hot griddles making the crepes and she’s in back directing and helping a few staff members making the copious orders of crepes for hungry market-goers. You’ll hear a smattering of French and English, both spoken fluently and fluidly at this booth, especially to their children and each other. But their crepes, you ask? How are they? Literally, to die for. They have two different batters they use: buckwheat (has a hint of lemongrass in it…but you only know that because I told you, it’s almost undetectable but does something incredible to the nuttiness of the buckwheat flavors) and a sweet-white crepe. I really enjoy either their seasonal fruit or their Deluxe. The Deluxe has a little bit of everything including bacon, sausage, tomato, onions, mushrooms, spinach, and mozzarella, topped with some greens a sprinkling of truffle oil. The truffle oil sends these things over the top! I’m making myself hungry now!
I’m out of town for the next few days, but I’ll be back next week with more. Have a great weekend, cheers!
The past few weeks have been tireless. I honestly have no one to blame other than myself–being one’s own workhorse has it’s benefits and drawbacks. The benefits of finding my own path, and choosing how best to accomplish my goals definitely outweigh the negatives. However, I tend to get wrapped up in worries–incessant, ceaseless, never ending lists of worries that try their damnedest to bring me down. This winter, I took a lot of time to pin point the sources of these worries and get to the root of some of my core fears. This, my friends, was challenging! I realized that I fed off of some of my fears, basing my reality in what was little more than a distant childhood memory. How liberating is has been to even just realize this–and now, to be able to take steps and move forward.
The past few days have been especially challenging–I can trace back most of my angst to one little place: impatience. And there are two sides to everything–on the upside, impatience gets a fire lit for me, get’s me going in areas that I may dawdle or procrastinate unnecessarily on. But on the other hand, when I’ve done everything that there possibly could be done, or better yet, I am in the MIDDLE of doing something (like research or planning…) I imagine the final result so clearly, that I just want it NOW. Does this ever happen to you? This is when try to remind myself “Hey girl, slow down. Good things come to those who wait…”, well, I certainly hope that’s true, chimes in my cynical side.
Today I had one of those serendipitous moments where I met with a friend and she was having some of the same concerns. It is interesting, and in a way calming, to hear your own questions being voiced by someone else. It’s like, ‘Hey! That’s what I was thinking too!’ in that way that really brings people closer together. I don’t know why I get in the rut of thinking I’m alone, or I’m the only one who thinks/feels… but it is just not true, for any of us. And that fact is really such a wonderful thing to dwell on for a moment.
Verde means green in Spanish. It’s the color of my city 365 days a year, the color of my eyes, and the color of millions of living things. It is also a color that I’ve been wanting to eat more of. If you are not convinced, check out my post on kale I did a few months ago–talk about a super food. To welcome the warmer weather (WELCOME WARM WEATHER!!! I’ve MISSED you!), I decided to make a green smoothie–just to see how it would go. Would it be palatable? Delicious? Or spit-it-out so bad? I decided it wouldn’t kill me to try, in fact, it would do just the opposite! So what the heck. But after making it, I was so convinced by its great flavor (and especially the way it made me feel long term)I decided that this was going to become a new habit. Green smoothie making would be something I did each week and if I made enough, I would only have to do it once, maybe twice, a week–perfect!
The smoothie I made was juicy and full of pulp, just the way I like it–it had undertones of green but vibrant flavors of mango, ginger, and a little coconut. There are so many combinations, I’ll give you a list to get your creative juices (no pun intended, or maybe there is…) flowing. I found that having a glass of this for breakfast, I wasn’t hungry until lunch–no crazy hunger pains or blood sugar drops mid morning and I felt great. I’ve been drinking the rest of it for the past few days which has been a nice treat and snack. It’s so easy to grab for this, instead of a hunk of cheese or something of that sort (which I normally do), and feel satiated. I’m glad I took the challenge!
Tricia’s Green Smoothie 3-4 leaves dino kale, washed and stem removed, rough chopped 1 hunk (about the size of your thumb) fresh ginger, skin removed 1 tablespoon flax seeds 1/2 cup coconut kefir (you can use yogurt, regular kefir, or just juice instead here) 1 cup pinapple juice 1 fresh mango, skin removed and sliced 1 stick celery, washed and cut into 4-5 pieces, easier for the blender
Blend it and drink up!
Other smoothie ideas: 2-3 cups any greens of your choice, 2 cups papaya, 2 oranges, 3 dates
1 handful lettuce leaves, 1 handful mint, 4 bananas, 1/2 cup water
Winter Smoothie – 1 cup organic frozen berries (any kind), 2 cups fresh spinach, 1/4 inch fresh ginger, water
Spring Smoothie – fresh orange juice, ripe bananas, frozen mangoes, and several large leaves of kale (extra frozen mango gives lovely thick consistency you eat with a bowl + spoon)
1/2 bunch romaine lettuce, 1 cup strawberries, 2 bananas, water
4-5 kale leaves, 4 apples, 1/2 lemon juiced, water
2 big handfuls mixed baby greens, 2 pears, 2 mangoes, 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
Choc-mint – 2 cups spinach, 10-12 mint leaves, 3 bananas, 2 Tbs. carob powder, 1 cup water
1 handful of spinach, 2 stalks of celery, 2 bananas, 2 pears, 1 apple, 1 cup water
1 small handful of spinach, 2 cups arugula, 2-3 mangoes, 1 cup water
1/2 head romaine lettuce, 1 small pineapple, 1 large mango, 1-inch fresh ginger
1 handful wild greens (e.g. dandelion), 1 small handful mint leaves, 3 cups honeydew melon
3-4 stalks celery, 2 ripe persimmons, 1 banana
1 handful chard leaves, 5-6 kale leaves, 3 large bananas, 1 cup water
1 handful parsley, 3 cups of peeled papaya
How often do you make a pot of brown rice and have a lot left over? This happens all the time for me and while I usually put it to good use later on, it never hurts to have a few more ideas for it. This brown rice pudding is something I do all the time–breakfast, snacks, I’ve even eaten it for dinner when nothing else would hit the spot. It’s a versatile recipe where you can substitute, add, and subtract all sorts of goodies to it. Instead of raisins, try another dried fruit like chopped dried apricots, apples, or peaches. Use coconut milk (decadence!) instead of coconut water when simmering it down. Try throwing some granola, yogurt, or nuts on top. Sweeten it with real maple syrup, agave, or brown sugar. Look to see what you have in your cupboards, sometimes a dried cereal or a sliced banana is great on it too. The options are endless!
I’ve had an abundance of nuts hanging around for too long–they needed tending to. So I made this spicy nut mix. You can make this in bulk and store it for a while in your cabinets (in a mason jar or something that is air-tight). It’s great to take to work or have in your bag for a quick pick me up in the afternoon. The garam masala gives it an exotic flavor that is warm, not spicy as in hot, but literally bursting with taste. All of the ingredients satisfy our six tastes: salty, sweet, pungent, sour, bitter, astringent–which means that you and whomever you share these with will feel really satisfied. The tongue is always looking for all the flavors in a dish (or in an entire meal); now you can give them what they’re looking for!
I find it challenging at times to keep things simple. My mind wants to find ways to add more or do something differently–which can be great for many other reasons. However, I like to remind myself from time to time of the basics, especially when it comes to the food I eat. When I come back to those foundations, I find that I actually have a lot more to work with than I thought. It’s also easier to build (and let the mind start experimenting!) off of basic recipes and food ideas. Simple snacks make me feel good all around—tasty food that doesn’t waste or take time!
Brown Rice Pudding
2 cups left over brown rice, cooked 1-2 cups coconut water—or coconut milk, or rice milk 1/2 cup shredded coconut 1/2 cup raisins—I prefer it with golden raisins 1 cinnamon stick or 1 teaspoon cinnamon 10 cardamon pods or 1/2 teaspoon cardamon
In a pot, stir together all the ingredients over medium high heat, until the liquid has been dissolved into the rice and the raisins are plump. Serve warm.
Spicy Mixed Nuts
2 cups of a mix of almonds, pecans, and cashews 1 teaspoon coconut oil, melted 1 tablespoon maple syrup 1-3 teaspoons garam masala sea salt (to taste)
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Mix together nuts, coconut oil, and maple syrup in a bowl. Spread on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. When finished baking, sprinkle the nuts with the garam masala and sea salt, toss, and let cool. Store in an air tight container. Enjoy!
I’ve been using what is in my refrigerator and cupboards to find inspiration to think of some new (or old, but haven’t eaten in a long time) snack ideas. Forcing myself to turn on a different part of my brain, to actually try to see what I have differently, has been a challenge! But a good one–I do love a challenge. Thankfully, I’ve been good about buying “whole foods” for the most part–nuts, seeds, dried fruits, vegetables, grains. But sometimes seeing foods like this in their raw, or native forms, can be overwhelming. What the heck can I make with all of this? Once I get over that initial shock of seeing, my brain goes into create-mode.
Yesterday, I found some celery that needed to be eaten, seed butter, and raisins—the perfect combination for the classic Ants on a Log. I don’t even remember the last time I ate this snack, but it was all around satisfying. It tasted of playgrounds, elementary school lunch-time, and I thought I may have even heard the shrill laughter of young kids playing as I crunched into this memory-laden snack. Try making it with a variety of nut or seed butters–almond, cashew, and sunflower seed butter are all great. Instead of just using raisins, experiment with dried blueberries, cherries, or cranberries. You can even sprinkle some sliced almonds on top as well, for a little added crunch!
In the fridge, there was also an abundance of heirloom carrots and a big ginger root. (I always keep a ton of ginger around, especially during the winter months.) So I juiced them and drank the sweet, spicy juice with my logs! This juice is a great pick me up in the afternoon–especially if you are craving something sweet.
During my hunt, I also came across several cans of beans, some frozen chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, and cilantro. Recently, I had read about tortas, a Mexican style sandwich that is as versatile as it is delicious. And since hadn’t had one since I’d last been in Mexico City four or five years ago, I suddenly had a craving! I used to get them from a small sandwich shop in La Condesa; they were slightly crunchy on the outside and absolutely filled a with combination of refried beans, pork, sausage, salsas, tomatillos, avocado (either as guac or straight up), mayo, vegetables (fresh or stir-fried), cheese (either crumbled on or melted over)–basically you name it, you got it. My favorite was pretty simple—beans, avocado, salsa (red with chunks of tomato and onion), and crumbled cheese. So I used some left over ciabatta and toasted it for the bread; Andrew and I made the most amazing refried bean recipe ever; we sliced up some avocado, drizzled on the salsa, and crumbled some good feta on top (yes, feta, and it is fantastic on this sandwich!) and wa la! A torta that took me right back to La Ciudad de Mexico.
Chipotle Refried Beans, via FOODday
Makes more than enough for 4-6 sandwiches
This recipe makes more beans than you likely will need. Save the rest for quesadillas, burritos, huevos rancheros or future tortas.
2 15oz cans black beans, well drained and rinsed 2 cloves garlic 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin 2 tablespoons minced cilantro leaves – I used some flat leaf parsley here and it still tasted great 1 to 3 canned chipotle peppers–you can use chipotles in adobo sauce, also excellent! 1/2 cup water 1 to 2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil pinch of salt 1 lime, squeezed
In a food processor combine the beans, garlic, cumin, cilantro, chiles, water, brown sugar, and lime juice; process until smooth, scraping down sides as necessary with a rubber spatula. Pulse in 3 tablespoons of olive oil and adjust seasoning accordingly.
Heat remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in large nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, add the bean mixture and cook, stirring frequently, until texture has thickened and flavor has mellowed, 8 to 10 minutes on medium high heat. Prepare sandwhiches immediately or transfer to bowl and keep warm.
Salud!
