The Finals Meal

Over the past month or so there has been an extreme lack of blogging on my part and for this, I apologize. My adventures in eating had not ceased; however, I had been short on leisure time. Now that finals are approaching and the year is winding down I can breathe a sigh of relief and thank God that I made it through another semester! I laughed, I cried, I read a LOT of slides...

          In honor of my farewell to the Fall Semester I made my "Finals Meal." Not to be confused with the Final Meal...I won't even go into that so if you're not familiar go and Google it. The Finals Meal has to be easy to make, it has to be healthy, and it has to come from stuff that I already have in my fridge...I used a chunk of my grocery money paying for popcorn and a drink at the Angelika theatre in Dallas. Normally I would smuggle in my own kettle corn in little plastic baggies, because I'm ghetto like that...Shhh! Don't tell anyone!

          I chose to make a stir-fry. Stir-frying is an art that everyone should master, because it's a great way to toss a variety of veggies together and make a meal fast! If you're not a vegetarian (I forgive you) you can stir fry your beef, chicken, or pork first and set it aside before you stir fry your veggies. Yes, there are pre-packaged stir-fry meals on the market...but trust me...you can make one that tastes infinitely better and will have less salt and NO preservatives! The most time consuming part of making a stir-fry is chopping fresh vegetables. Keep in mind, though, that there are bags of frozen vegetables that are said to retain more vitamins and minerals than their fresh-produce counterparts. Quite frankly, I just prefer the taste and texture of fresh vegetables over frozen and I can control what size and shape they are cut. The cut of the vegetable is important for a successful stir-fry because keeping everything one size helps your meal to cook evenly.

          So what did I put in my stir-fry tonight? Thank you for asking! I began by putting 1/2 cup of Jasmine brown rice into my rice cooker with 2 tsp of peanut oil and 1 cup of water. Rice cookers can be your best friend since they do all the work for you, allowing you to move on to other tasks. You can get Jasmine brown rice at Whole Foods Market in the bulk isle. I love it; I always make sure I have some in my pantry.

My rice cooker--working up a sweat.

          Next I pulled out all of the vegetables: onion, red bell pepper, carrot, green beans, garlic, and green onion. The more colorful you can make it, the better! I chopped the onion, bell pepper and carrot into 1 inch strips; cut the ends off of the green beans and cut them in half (also 1 inch in length), and then coarsely chopped the garlic and green onion. For the protein portion of the stir-fry, I took out 1/3 of a block of extra firm tofu--cut it into 1/2 inch cubes and wrapped it in paper towels to drain. Once all of your veggies are chopped and ready the fun part can begin! In a wok I heat about a tablespoon of peanut oil on medium and then add the onions and bell pepper first. A lot of recipes will tell you to add the garlic in with the onion but this never works out for me...The garlic usually over-cooks or burns by the time everything else goes into the mix.



Okay, so maybe they are a little longer than an inch...

           Stir-fry the onion and bell pepper for a minute or so before adding the green beans and carrots. You want to add the things you know will take the longest to cook first. Cook while continuing to stir until the onions begin to look translucent. I threw in the tofu cubes at this point to brown them while there were no liquids in the pan. This is the lazy way to use tofu in your stir-fry...you can bake the cubes for about 20 minutes coated in some oil beforehand or even freeze and thaw it first so it absorbs more flavor or has a meatier texture. I ground some black pepper over everything before letting it cook for another 5 minutes or so.

You have been tofued.

          I'm guesstimating on the amount of minutes it takes for each of these steps. There really is no strict guideline; it depends on how crispy you want your vegetables to come out or how browned you like them. I let everything cook until the tofu took on a browned color. I made space in the center of the wok and added 1 tsp of sesame oil. If you like the taste of sesame seeds, you will probably like the taste of this oil. I added the chopped garlic and stirred everything around and let it cook for another minute or so. To get the vegetables a little softer and to tone down the soy sauce I added 1/4 cup of plain water. You can use broth if you like. I used only 1 TBSP of low sodium soy sauce, but if you would like to add more I won't mind. ;-) Be careful though, because I over soy-sauced my stir-fry once and my boyfriend was sweet enough to pretend to enjoy eating it.



Just add water.





Put a lid on it.

          At this point I sprinkled some cayenne pepper in to give it a little kick, turned the heat up to medium high so the liquid began to boil a little and then turned the heat back down to medium and covered it all with a pot lid. Let everything cook for a few minutes under the lid and then remove the lid to let the liquid cook down and the flavors concentrate. The last ingredient to add is the green onion because it doesn't take much time to cook and you don't want it to be all soggy. Do you?

Add the finishing touches...

          So now my stir-fry is complete. My rice cooker finishes my brown rice just in time, and I can't wait to chow down! I like to eat Asian inspired food with chopsticks...it gets really interesting when all that's left at the bottom of the bowl are a few grains of rice. That's when you pick them up and eat them one by one and reflect on what a superb stir-fry chef you are.




Time to get my nom-nom on.

           Last week I made one of my favorite Thai desserts: Coconut Sticky Rice with Diced Mango. I would look forward to eating at a Thai restaurant just to be able to order this unique dish. Now that I'm broke and unable to frequent restaurants as often as I used to; I decided to learn how to make it myself. It was EASY! Granted, I still can't get it quite as good as the professionals...but mine comes so close that I don't feel like I'm missing out. Look for it under my Stephfoodie's Favorite Recipes blog. Time to clean up my kitchen and get back to studying for finals. Fingers crossed for a 4.0!

Taking Credit for the Big Salad



My Big Salad; I ate the whole thing.

           Does it ever seem like you go through food phases? In my teen years I could eat a whole jar of kosher dill spears...yes, the whole jar...and yes--I was a bit on the chubby side (extreme water-weight retention from disgusting amounts of sodium probably). "Peanut butter" was my response when asked about my favorite food...especially if it was in divine combination with chocolate. I just drooled a little. On a daily basis I crave something sweet but I go through phases of wanting sugary candies like Skittles or opting for cookies and cakes. Here is a strange food phase that must be genetic because it happens to my mother as well: Salad cravings!



The lazy salad--Ironically named, American Blend.



         Perhaps I crave things that I can crunch on vigorously and stab with my fork during times of stress. This particular semester is pretty stressful, so if you see me ripping apart a head of lettuce you should probably steer clear. There are endless combinations for salad making, and it's pretty hard to get a salad wrong (I said pretty hard, not impossible). When I felt the salad itch, I decided to meander over to the pre-packaged salad bags and see what my fine neighborhood Kroger had to offer. Ah, uniform pieces of lettuce packed into 5 to 9 oz bags. Some of them are nice enough to take the guesswork out of the salad making process by putting in other ingredients like shredded carrots, red cabbage and radishes. Just dump out, add dressing, and eat. Don't have dressing? They add dressing packets too! I'm starting to see a trend in marketing...geared towards the lazy. Don't have time to make your own salad? Aw, come on! Is this your excuse for everything?

         Personalized salad making is definitely worth the time and effort! It's also cheaper! So back to the neatly packaged salad bags...7 oz salad mixes for about $4 a bag! My meager college grocery budget cannot sustain such reckless purchases! For less than $1 a head, I bought green leaf lettuce, and red tipped lettuce. Romaine is around $1.50. Next, I chose two carrots from the loose pile, 88 cents, and splurged on organic radishes (they had a nicer color) for $1.29. I hate cabbage, so this salad would be delightfully cabbage free! I like to add some chickpeas to my salad, and I can buy a can for 89 cents. So there you have it, for less than five dollars I had the potential to make many salads...and I like my salads big! 7 ounces just isn't going to cut it!

          Time to deglaze those eyes; I'm done talking about finances now. On to the good stuff: salad making! There are three things that I get from Whole Foods Market that I can't find at Kroger: R.W. Knudsen ginger ale spritzer, quinoa, and nutritional yeast. The third one, nutritional yeast, is a new ingredient I add to my salads per the advice of my friend and fellow dietetics major Jason. I realize that nutritional yeast sounds about as appetizing as licking fungus off of someone's toes, but hear me out! Nutritional yeast looks a lot like a yellow version of instant mashed potato flakes, has a cheesy flavor so it makes a great popcorn topping, and best of all for vegetarians: it's a great source of vitamin B12, a hard vitamin to get when you don't eat meat.


Nutritional yeast, certified cheese imitator.



Best ginger ale I've ever ingested.















          Once I've got my lettuce, carrot, radish and chickpeas into the bowl I sprinkle 1 teaspoon of nutritional yeast over everything. For my dressing I simply use 1 Tablespoon of olive oil and 2 Tablespoons of red or white wine vinegar with a few grinds of pepper. Put a plate over the top of the bowl and shake it around a few times to coat the salad evenly. The nutritional yeast adds so much flavor to the dressing; I wish I had known about it sooner! I like to change things up by adding baby spinach when I have it, kalamata olives, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers...the options are endless! I'm adding one of my favorite salad recipes to my recipe blog, so check it out, and don't be afraid to experiment with your own unique salad combinations. If you make it yourself, then you can truly take credit for the Big Salad.

For those who did not catch my Seinfeld reference.

In Defense of Tofu!

                Today I feel it is necessary to talk about tofu. Yes, tofu, the butt of many FoxTrot jokes and the subject of Doug Funny's favorite song by The Beets. The first time I tried tofu was at Ghengis Grill and I added it to my mix of veggies and turkey out of pure curiosity. The texture was a little alien, but the taste was by no means objectionable. My knowledge of the magical curd was limited to the fact that it was somehow made from soybeans.

Tofu can usually be found in its own special section at the grocery store; along with plain, vanilla, and chocolate soymilk (mmm chocolate), veggie burger patties, dairy free cheese and other oddities. I buy Nasoya brand. It’s the only brand I have ever tried so I can’t vouch for it being better or worse than any others. Firm and Extra Firm and Silken are the varieties I’ve tried.  They come in fun square packages filled with water. I wouldn’t suggest trying to peel back the plastic unless you would like to start a wet t-shirt contest. I cut two slits and then hold the package over the sink to drain the liquid out and then peel back the plastic.

Nasoya Tofu Varieties, I use the silken tofu in smoothies.

Once you’ve opened the tofu (I’ll wait) you will find a spongy block of bean curd with lots of potential! You can bake it, deep fry it, sauté it, stir-fry it, add it to soups, stews, smoothies, dips…you get the picture. Just don’t eat it raw from the package. My first meal using tofu was a simple stir-fry recipe my friend sent me via text message. A stir-fry is what I’ve decided to make for dinner tonight because I’ve got some left over broccoli in my fridge, and honestly…it’s the only way I can stand to eat it. Blech.  Yes, the woman studying nutrition hates broccoli! We’re human too you know?

Rarely have I heard a good excuse for not liking tofu. Most people will respond with “yuck” accompanied by a grotesque facial expression. Most people haven’t even tried it! I’m not going to lie to you and tell you that I can make tofu taste exactly like steak, pork, or chicken (although I’ve come pretty close to that last one). I find that I either end up masking the flavor with marinades or I can taste the soy goodness of the tofu along with whatever I’m serving it with.

One of the most impressive recipes I’ve made, using extra firm tofu, came so close to chicken nuggets I’ll be damned if I wasn’t in a school cafeteria! (The lunch ladies used to yell at us for calling them McNuggets™) This is a recipe I’ll share at the end of this post; and for those of you with children see if you can fool them! My brother once served his famous green curry to my family using tofu and my dad had no clue! We told him it was chicken. I don’t condone putting “secret” ingredients into people’s food and then waiting until they eat it to laugh heartily and tell them what idiots they are however; and I think you may lose friends this way.

I’ve included a couple of photos for your viewing pleasure. The best thing about tofu, besides it being an excellent meat substitute for vegetarians and a flavor soaking sponge, is that it’s SO CHEAP! I can always find it for around 2 dollars for 14 oz. I can divide this up into three portions to use in three different meals. Meals for one, mind you. An important preparation method I’ve learned is that freezing the tofu, thawing, and pressing before use gives it a meatier texture. When I saw this step in recipes I would think, “Nah, can’t be bothered with that nonsense.” If you think about it, it is really no more time consuming than defrosting meat for dinner…it takes less time in fact! It will also soak up more flavor this way because once it is defrosted the moisture is easier to press out.



Tofu Tacos! I used a packet of taco seasoning to flavor crumbled firm tofu with diced onions and green bell pepper. No pictures of the actual tacos because I ate them. ;-)

White bean, vegetable and tofu Cassoulet. I baked this in the oven right in the frying pan!

Pesto pasta with tofu standing in for the chicken. LOVE PESTO!



An additional note on soy:

I know that some people are afraid to eat soy due to phytoestrogens. One reason why we may be seeing a rise in estrogen in both men and women may have to do with the rise in obesity: an increase in adipose tissue (fat cells) means an increase in estrogen production. You can see some other possible factors listed in this article from MSN Health and Fitness. I did some of my own research into the effects of phytoestrogens on men and women and found that eating soy products did not have a detrimental effect on sex hormone levels, and may in fact have a positive effect on cardiovascular health! Don’t take my word for it of course, the links to the journal articles are posted on the right side of the screen. Please remember that taking any nutrient in supplement form does not compare to eating the actual foods that contain it and many other properties that work in concert. Studies have shown that genetically modified, GM soy, has lead to reproductive health abnormalities in rats. It is best to eat only organic soy products and these are regulated and labeled in accordance with the FDA.

Beans, Beans They're Good for the Heart...

The first week of school has come and gone, so it's about time that I returned to my adventures in eating! Last night I brought a vegetarian cookbook with me to bed so I could plan my dinner menu for the next three days. I bought a can of every different kind of bean that I saw at the grocery store: garbanzo, pinto, black bean, kidney beans, and white beans. Each can is less than a dollar and there are so many things you can do with them! Usually I make a simple beans and rice recipe with the pinto beans, a soup with the white beans and burger patties with the black beans. Garbanzo beans, or chickpeas are something I've never cooked with but only used as an addition to salads. Try it by the way, it adds great texture!

         Since I'm trying to forgo meat I've got to get my protein from somewhere. This is where beans come in and their nutritional profile is pretty impressive. According to The New Becoming Vegetarian: The Essential Guide to a Healthy Vegetarian Diet: The percentage of protein as compared to fat and carbohydrates in beans ranges from about 20% to 33%, with soybeans boasting the highest protein content. In order to put this into perspective lean ground beef has about 37% protein. The kicker is that the fat content in beef is about 63%, and typically less than 5% in most beans. Soybeans are about 40% fat; however, this is non saturated and cholesterol free unlike the fat found in meat. Beans offer a balanced ratio of protein, fat and carbohydrates with the addition of fiber that help you feel full and satisfied longer as they help to balance your blood sugar.

         Protein and fiber are not the only nutritional boosts you'll get by adding beans to your diet, you'll also get iron and zinc. Vegetarian diets are often criticized for being low in iron, and beans are the key to increasing that iron intake. As an example, a cup of pinto beans has about 4.5 mg of iron and 1.9 mg of zinc. Compare this to 2 oz of ground beef with 1.1 mg of iron and 2.3 mg of zinc. I apologize for throwing all these numbers at you...let's just put it this way...beans are good for you! We all know the old rhyme we used to chant when we were served up a pile of beans, "Beans, beans the musical fruit. The more you eat the more you...." Well, you get the idea. Personally I don't have any problems with canned beans since they are already cooked  and then get cooked again when I add them to meals. If you just can't digest your beans without clearing the room, look into buying some Beano from the drugstore. :-P I'll accept no excuses!

So here's the breakdown one of my absolute favorite books gives you, "SuperFoods: HealthStyle" by Steven G. Pratt M.D. and Kathy Matthews

Beans are a source of:

• low-fat protein
• fiber
• B vitamins
• iron
• folate
• potassium
• magnesium
• phytonutrients

         They also recommend that you try to eat at least four 1/2 cup servings per week. Oh, and why are beans "good for your heart?" According to SuperFoods beans are an excellent source of folate and magnesium, both important for your ticker. "Recent studies confirm beans' power to lower heart attack risk." For those with, or at risk for Type II Diabetes look to beans as a way to manage blood sugar since they are high in soluble fiber.

         The recipe that I chose for tonight was from a cookbook my friend Danielle let me borrow called Vegetarian Times. On page 274 you'll find Pinto Beans with Vegetables and Red Wine. I chose this because I had half a bottle of Cabernet left over from a housewarming gift my classmate and friend gave me. If I can use things that I already have in my kitchen, then I'll be saving $$$!

I love my little glass bowls, they make cooking so neat and organized!

         Okay, so as you may be able to tell from the photo above, I used a can of pinto beans, tomato paste, chopped carrot and potato, minced garlic, sliced white mushrooms, chopped onion, a bay leaf, dried thyme, kosher salt and a bottle of dry red wine. This is super easy! I halved the recipe since I'm just cooking for myself.

1/2 large onion, chopped
1/4 cup water
1 large carrot, sliced into rounds
1/2 large potato, cubed
1 cup water
1 1/2 TBSP tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
3/4 cup dry red wine
1 can low sodium pinto beans, rinsed
2 cloves of garlic, minced, separated
kosher salt to taste
1/4 pound white mushrooms (4 oz), sliced

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook the onions until they begin to soften, and then add 1/4 cup of water.
2. Once the onions are translucent, add the carrot, potato, tomato paste, thyme, bay leaf and one cup of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to allow it to simmer until the potatoes and carrots are cooked. About 20 minutes. Stir occasionally and add additional water as needed to keep vegetables covered.
3. After 20 minutes add the wine, beans, garlic and salt. Return to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and allow to cook for another 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, saute the mushrooms with the other half of the garlic in some olive oil until they are cooked. Add the mushrooms to the beans and veggies. You can serve it now or allow it to simmer a little longer and reduce down. Make sure your carrots and potatoes are nice and soft!

My mini herb garden in my kitchen.

Dried thyme I made with the lemon thyme plant (far left).

         The red wine really gave the dish that "something." For you meat eaters out there this would definitely go well with beef. Just don't ask me how to cook it! The picture doesn't do it justice...I served it up in my cute little Cat in the Hat soup bowl and saucer to add some color.

Simmering the beans and wine while cooking the mushrooms.

The finished product...too bad I didn't have anything to garnish it with!

Thanks for the Pretty Cauli-Flowers!

The finished product, taken with my BlackBerry.

While wandering the produce isles at Kroger I thought, "What veggie have I not attempted to cook yet?" I saw some intimidating looking plants, that if I had seen growing anywhere in nature I wouldn't equate to something you would put into your mouth. Celeriac, fennel, okra, and turnips...nah...a little too adventurous for this adventurer! There, in all of its glory, was a whole head of cauliflower...the creamy white florets nestled in the surrounding green leaves. It's a very pretty vegetable, unlike the okra which look like hairy little leprechaun fingers. This head of cauliflower was not wrapped in plastic like its more pristine counterpart, and it had a little brown discoloration to some of the florets. Something about fruits and vegetables that look a little too perfect makes me wonder.

I bought a book from Barnes and Noble a few years back called The Food Doctor: Healing foods for mind and body. I was drawn to the colorful cover, and inside in alphabetical order are all of the common fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, beans, and meat. They are all organized into a chart which includes a photo, list of nutrients, and their benefits to the body. LOVE THIS BOOK! At a glance I can see that cauliflower contains calcium, magnesium, folic acid (moms to be, take note), potassium, beta-carotene, and vitamin C. Not only is cauliflower "anti-cancer and [an] antioxidant," it is also "good for bleeding gums, kidney and bladder disorders, high blood pressure, and constipation." So you say you hate cauliflower and wouldn't eat it no matter how many redeeming qualities this beautiful Brassicaceae boasts? Does it look about as appetizing to you as cauliflower ear? I am willing to bet that the recipe I made last night will change your mind!

Robin Plotkin, R.D., L.D., culinary and nutrition expert, posted a link to a recipe for Oven-Roasted Cauliflower through her RobinsBite page on Facebook. With extreme confidence she stated, "I dare you not to eat the whole head of cauliflower after making this recipe!" If I wasn't splitting it with my boyfriend Josh, I most definitely would have polished off the entire thing! It is oh so easy to make and without a doubt I will be making it again and again!

Here is what you will need:

1 Medium head of cauliflower
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of sliced garlic (about two large cloves)
2 tablespoons of lemon juice (trust me, do not skip this ingredient)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
Freshly grated Parmesan, to taste (I used about 1/2 cup)
Chopped parsley
Freshly milled black pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 375F

Rinse the cauliflower and separate into florets, try to make each floret about the same size so it cooks evenly. Saute the cauliflower in the olive oil over medium heat until slightly browned, adding the garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Transfer the cauliflower and the juices from the pan into a baking sheet lined with nonstick foil. Roast the cauliflower in the oven for about 15 minutes. I checked after about 10 to make sure they weren't burning! Remove the baking sheet from the oven and sprinkle with the freshly grated Parmesan cheese and the parsley. The cheese should melt, and the cauliflower should be served immediately while it is still hot.

When I took the first bite, I could not believe how good it was! Thanks Robin for making my cauliflower experiment a success! For the original recipe go to FoodNetwork.

Frankenstein Soup

It's ALIVE!

I'm back in the kitchen and I haven't lost my touch! As a matter of fact, I think my touch has improved. Have you ever wondered how in the heck Alton Brown, Bobby Flay or Rachel Ray could chop things up with a knife so fast without losing a finger? Well, I can chop just like them! Ahh...not really; however, I am starting to speed up and have figured out that if you keep the tip of the knife on the cutting board and push whatever it is you are chopping forward as you slice then things move along faster. It's such a pain in the tush to have to prep vegetables all the time so anything that makes this step go faster is a godsend. What really got me excited was my sudden recall of how to dice an onion quickly. I saw it on Master Chef with Gordon Ramsey, but he demonstrated it so fast it was almost a joke that he even showed anyone.

         So there I was chopping this onion for my experimental veggie soup, and bada-bing-bada-boom I slice it just right. A small victory to some...That's one small step for Steph, one giant leap towards cooking competence! I could have cried tears of joy, but it was just the sting from the onion. All I have to work with in my kitchen is a bunch of random vegetables, one of which is a parsnip. I have never cooked with a parsnip. I know it's used in soups so I thought it would be the perfect solution to my dinner dilemma to just throw everything in a pot. I sauteed my chopped veggies in a bit of oil with some onion and garlic. Seems like you can never go wrong with onions and garlic for adding flavor. I tossed in a bay leaf and rubbed some dry oregano between my fingers and sprinkled it in too.

         Oh yes, and I can't forget that I put a couple of tablespoons of red wine vinegar in and let it heat through before I added any water. A sprinkle of salt and 3 cups of water later I had a concoction that looked about right. Thank goodness I decided to make my vegetable broth out of my vegetable leavin's at the same time because the water started to reduce down even with the lid over the pot. Each time I would open the lid I had lost about a cup of water. The broth that I made this time had little bits of jalepeno pepper in it, so it came out a little bit spicy. Interesting...So a pinch of kosher salt, a grind of fresh pepper and 40 minutes on the timer. I like making meals that allow me to walk away and do other things while they cook. It gives me the illusion that I'm multi-tasking. :-)

My choppity veggeties.

         Ding! The timer goes off and I'm excited to try my Frankenstein soup! It's a little sweeter than I had expected it to be, possibly because I put in some tomato...and I'm pretty sure that parsnip has a sweetness to it too. The vinegar gives it a little bit of sour with the sweet, so looks like I've accidentally made sweet and sour soup with Italian seasoning. Don't get me wrong, it's yummy and I'm on my last few bites right now. Next time though I wont add the tomato and will put in more salt. Any suggestions from the peanut gallery?

Meatless Mondays!

Now that I have awakened from a weekend-long slumber, a little disoriented yet extremely well-rested...I suppose it's time for a new blog. For those of you who follow me, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for doing so, I didn't want to leave you without some food for thought. Get it? Ha...okay...For those who missed my last blog, I had my wisdom teeth out and spent the last few days eating mushy stuff and hydrocodone. Yum!

         This evening I started going through the material for the first section of my online class: The Ecology of Food. Our first topic is "sustainable agriculture." After spending about two hours clicking links, reading articles, and plowing through fields of information (ha again!) I got pretty excited about the topic. After all, it goes hand in hand with one of the reasons I want to go vegetarian: the factory farming of animals. The question I pose to you-- Can we continue to sustain the use of slaughter-houses that overcrowd, medicate and genetically modify farm animals? The antibiotics used to suppress illness in these animals pose a threat to humans in the form of resistant strains of bacteria. Broiler chickens are genetically modified to grow at such a rapid rate that their legs cannot support them and they are unable to walk, some unable to move. Unthinkable amounts of animal waste accumulates and provides a toxic environment for the farm animals as well as pollutants for the surrounding air, water and soil.

          Believe me, I am not a sign toting activist...no offense to sign toters...and the last thing I want to do is scare you away with PETA-like propaganda. You have tons of information right at your fingertips and are quite capable of forming your own opinion. I plan to write much more on this topic for those that are interested. There is so much to know about where our food comes from as well as what food does for our bodies.

          Anywho, I came across a link to a site where their goal is to "help reduce meat consumption 15% in order to improve personal health and the health of our planet." A noble cause. :-) They provide some links on the right hand side of their page, one is a news article about the health implications of meat consumption. In the spirit of Meatless Monday- one day a week, cut out meat... I'd like to share a recipe by Alton Brown for Guacamole. Everyone I make this guacamole for absolutely loves it! Avocados are still in season, and you know they're ready to eat if the skin is evenly colored and dark, almost black, and the flesh underneath feels soft when you press on it. If you try to use an avocado that is too green it will be hard to mash and wont taste as good.

Guacamole

• 3 Haas avocados, halved, seeded and peeled (for this amount of ingredients I would recommend just using two large avocados)
• 1/2 lime or lemon, juiced
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (must be kosher salt)
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
• 1 clove garlic, minced

          In a large bowl place the scooped avocado pulp and lime or lemon juice, toss to coat. Using a potato masher or two forks add the salt, cumin and cayenne and mash together. Fold in the onions, tomatoes, cilantro and garlic. You can add more or less of any of these ingredients according to taste once you have tried it. You must use lime or lemon juice because it will prevent the avocado flesh from turning brown. You can let the guacamole sit at room temperature for up to an hour. Letting it sit for a little while helps bring out the flavor, of course I'm always too impatient and want to eat it right away! Enjoy!

Blueberries- A Wise Choice

Photo by kaycatt,  www.flikr.com

Bright and early this morning I had my wisdom teeth removed. The oral surgeon's assistants, all very chipper and friendly, expressed how lucky I am not to have any third molars on my bottom jaw. Apparently they are more difficult to remove and require a longer recovery time. I could recall from the stories I'd heard from friends who had already had theirs out to "beware of the dreaded dry socket." Dry socket occurs when sucking, sneezing or spitting causes the blood clot to dislodge from the empty space in the gum where the tooth was removed. It is said to be very painful since it exposes nerves and bone and can allow food particles to get lodged in there.

            Now that I have officially turned your stomach, let's discuss food! My diet is limited to liquids and pureed solids for the next 24 hours. I'm a bit slow mentally from pain medication so I won't be very "adventurous" with my creations in the kitchen for a couple of days. It's also a little difficult to know if the thoughts I am typing onto this screen are very coherent so please bear with me! I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to share a smoothie recipe containing of the most important foods one could add to their diet: blueberries. For years now I have made it a point to consume blueberries on a regular basis after I read all about the benefits of these tiny nutrition powerhouses. No doubt you have heard or read about antioxidants and what they can do to protect your cells from free radical damage. Blueberries are potent antioxidants!

           In one of my absolute favorite books: "SuperFoods HealthStyle" by Stephen Pratt M.D, "A recent study found that blueberries deliver 38% more free-radical fighting anthocyanins than red wine." Anthocyanin is what makes blueberries blue! It is a pigment that inhibits abnormal call growth and even enhances the effects of vitamin C in the body. Blueberries are also heart healthy because they contain pterostilbene, which has been shown to lower cholesterol naturally. Along with fiber and folic acid they also contain caretenoids. Caretenoids support immune function, decrease risk for age related macular degeneration and work as a natural sunscreen by "increasing the UV capacity of skin." You could call them "brainberries" because they enhance cognitive ability and are important in the prevention of Alzheimer's disease.

          Still not convinced? You sure are hard to please! :-P Blueberries, like cranberries, are good for the urinary tract...helping to prevent infection. "Blueberries contain more powerful disease-fighting antioxidants than any other single fruit," according to Dr. Pratt. However, it is important to have variety in the foods we eat in order for them to work harmoniously in keeping our bodies in superb working order. Some other nutritious choices with a similar profile of benefits include: raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, cherries, currants, and purple grapes.

Here is the recipe for my Blueberry Boost. Ingredients and amounts can be altered to suit your taste.

1 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup low fat plain yogurt (I use plain because there is no added sugar)
1 whole banana, fresh or frozen
1/4 to 1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk

          Blend all ingredients until smooth and enjoy. There is enough here to fill you up or share with a friend. I recommend freezing the banana because it makes the smoothie nice and thick and keeps it cold. Remove the peel from the banana first, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Try this same recipe using orange juice instead of soy milk, or exchange the blueberries for the frozen fruit of your choice. I have found bags of mixed berries, peaches, mango, and pineapple at the grocery store. Use your imagination! When I make the smoothie with frozen peaches I add about 2 teaspoons of locally produced honey to make it a bit sweeter.

I wont be drinking the smoothie through a straw of course...just eating it with a spoon...wouldn't want to end up with the dreaded dry socket! Now... I'm off to make some mashed potatoes!

Chocolate Conference 2010

As I pulled up to the Addison Conference Center , keeping an eye out for a possible parking space, I saw my friend Erin seated-- legs crossed, wearing a black dress with white polka dots, matching heels and purse, donning movie star-like sunglasses. Her face lit up and she began to wave frantically when she realized it was me in my little silver Dodge Dakota. Her heels clicked on the pavement as she shuffled towards me and hopped into the passenger seat.


Erin is the type of woman with a creative mind, generous heart, and a love for sweets. Her current obsession is with cupcakes…giant cupcakes. I figured, who would be more perfect to share my chocolate excursion? We entered the building, greeted by a blast of cool air and a wall speckled with the paintings and photos of local artists. After a brief glance around we were waved over to the counter by a man who directed us to the booth where tickets are collected. Each adult ticket, for the price of $15, grants you entrance to any of the seven seminars and comes with ten tickets to trade for the chocolate samples of your choice.

           The 12 o’clock session had already begun, “Chocolate Making 101.” Art Pollard, the founder of Amano Artisan Chocolate, stood behind a podium adjacent to a projector with a slide show of photos flashing scenes of cocoa plantations, cocoa pods, and the smiling faces of farm workers. All seats were full, and the overflow stood against the walls listening intently as Mr. Pollard explained the process of chocolate making starting from the cocoa tree. Keep in mind that Amano Chocolate does things differently from larger chocolate producers, such as Hershey’s. Here is a link to the website where their “passion and dedication” to creating the highest quality chocolate is put into their own words: Amano Artisan Chocolate.

Art Pollard founder of Amano Artisan Chocolate http://www.amanochocolate.com/

Illustration of cacao plant http://www.amanochocolate.com/

The cacao tree, pronounced ka-kow, is native to the tropical regions of the Americas. 1 of 100 flowers on the cacao tree will become a cocoa pod. Over a three month period the pods will mature, encasing roughly 40 beans. Art Pollard stressed to the audience that the pods must not be picked, rather cut from the tree so that the pod will be able to re-grow and the tree will not be damaged. Once harvested, the beans go into large wooden boxes where fermentation takes place. Like coffee, cocoa is very tannic and astringent and processing removes unwanted flavors. After 3 to 7 days of fermentation, where the growth of aerobic bacteria is encouraged, the beans are dried slowly. Too slow and they will over ferment, too fast and they will become bitter.



        Mr. Pollard pointed out that Hershey’s does not ferment their cocoa beans; instead they are roasted at a very high temperature. Amano Artisan Chocolate uses whole bean roasting, where the shell is left intact to seal in the flavor. Roasting temperatures range from 200 to 425ºF and then the beans are quickly cooled to room temperature. The beans are broken and the shells are removed leaving what he referred to as “cocoa nibs.” The nibs or roast bits of bean are transferred to a large rotating bowl where a roller grinds them slowly. The roller applies 4,000 psi and grinds the beans until smooth. “The tongue can detect texture down to 20 microns,” Art Pollard explained. The texture of their chocolate is right at 12 microns.

Once the chocolate is smooth it is put into a giant conch where it is heated and unwanted flavors are volatized off. The sugar and the cellulose rub together making the sugar crystals more round; creaming the sugar with the cocoa butter. The amount of time it takes to conch depends on the chocolate maker since it is done according to flavor. Mr. Pollard personally tastes the chocolate at 5 minute intervals, 2 minute intervals, and eventually 30 second intervals. He told us there is a 30 second window to under or over-conching. “There is an art to it, and it’s really hard to articulate…you need an artist in there tasting it." The chocolate is formed into blocks and allowed to rest before it is re-melted in a heating and cooling process which allows the cocoa butter to crystallize properly. “As much work as we go through (to make the chocolate), it pales in comparison to what goes on at the farm,” he stated.

Chart of Chocolates

               

              1:00 p.m. marked the beginning of the next portion of the conference: A Tour of the Chocolate Shop, by Chef Tina Buice. Had we stayed we would have learned the difference between a truffle, chocolate and bon bon; however, Erin and I had to collect our samples before they ran out! Each of us with 10 tickets in our possession, hurried down the hall to where all of the chocolatiers had set up their booths. The room was already bustling with people, eagerly waiting in line to ask questions and sample chocolate. Where to begin? My eye was drawn to a booth arranged neatly with beautifully decorated chocolates: Dude, Sweet Chocolate with Chef Katherine Clapner aka “the dudette.” Patiently, we waited in line to catch a glimpse and choose our samples. Each chocolate had a unique design that you could match with a chart that would tell you the name and flavors. I chose the Marwan, flavored with Texas stonefruit jam and raz al hanout. A woman nearby asked what would possess someone to flavor chocolate with foods such as garlic, olive oil, beets, hemp, or yellow curry. “Why not?” insisted the woman behind the booth. Erin and I found this quite humorous because it was clearly not the kind of answer she had expected to hear.

Some of the chocolates on display for Dude, Sweet Chocolate

My box of chocolates!

            We had other booths to visit and tickets to burn! Cocoandre Chocolatier was our next stop. Their selection was just as picked over but enough remained for me to gather two samples. The first truffle was flavored with lavender raspberry and the next with ginger rosemary nutmeg. I collected a business card from each booth so that I could look them up online later. At the booth for JDorian Chocolatier we asked them which chocolate was their favorite. “This is our best seller,” she replied pointing to a chocolate with a yellow cursive writing across the top. In the photo it is the chocolate that says JDorian and unfortunately I cannot remember what she told me about it. I had hoped to find out on their website, but when I checked it did not have a page where each individual chocolate was explained. I suppose it will be my excuse to pay them a visit next time I’m in Dallas! I do happen to have one of their chocolates left in my box and I will try it right now. There is a red swirl design on top and when you bite into the outer shell of velvety dark chocolate it collapses onto a soft and light filling with a fruity scent and flavor. It is the sort of thing that you have to savor to truly appreciate.

Arturo Romanillos from Le Cordon Bleu

         The fellow at the booth for Le Cordon Bleu graciously allowed me to snap his picture, and when asked to tell us about their chocolates he immediately suggested the bacon chocolate. This sample is long gone because it was the first that I was eager to try, bad me! It takes a moment for the flavor of the bacon to come forth and once it does you also begin to feel tiny bits of bacon on your tongue. Proof again that bacon makes everything taste good! Erin and I were also instructed to try the Rocher, to which I immediately asked if it was similar to a Ferrero Rocher. He laughed and said that theirs were much better, but yes, it is like a Ferrero Rocher. This truffle was delicious and one of my favorites! As you bite into it there is a delightful crunch; very light with the delicate taste of hazelnut and smooth chocolate that makes it impossible not to want more. My other favorite truffle came from Le Cordon Bleu as well, with a dusting of cocoa powder on the outside and caramel on the inside. To die for! I wish I could do it justice by description!

          The longest line was forming near the booth for Wiseman House Chocolates. There must have been something about these truffles because no other line was this long and people were actually cutting in front of us! When we finally reached the table I swiped a flyer that read “Chocolate: proof that God is good…Very Good.” A single ticket allowed us to take two samples: a piece of the toffee and a truffle either dark or milk chocolate. After trying both of these I am sad to report that I did not find anything particularly remarkable in comparison to the other chocolatiers. Of course they were delicious, don't get me wrong! 

Wiseman House Fine Handmade Chocolates

         Others that were present at the conference include Collin College, Nib Chocolates, Sublime Chocolate, Toffee Treats, Paciugo and Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek. Chef David Collier proudly displayed his hand decorated truffles from Rosewood Mansion and even gave a course on chocolate decorating at 3:00 p.m. following Clay Gordon’s “Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Chocolate.” In the photo the two truffles in the top left hand corner above my thumb were made by Chef Collier. One is buttered popcorn and the purple one is peanut butter and jelly, reminiscent of Jelly Belly Jellybeans I think! They were certainly the most fun to look at and sample.

          You will have to forgive me, my dear reader, if I have any of my facts mixed up. I did my best to collect the samples and write down the flavors without taking up too much time in front of each booth. I have provided a list of links to all of the businesses mentioned in this blog on the top right side of my page.

       Once Erin and I were satisfied with our selections (and out of tickets) we had just enough time to get a seat for the 2:00 p.m. seminar with Clay Gordon. Mr. Gordon was full of energy, barely able to stand still as he led an open discussion of all things chocolate. Maybe he had too much chocolate beforehand?? His enthusiasm was contagious, and his sense of humor was spot on. It was difficult to take proper notes on everything that was said so I will provide a few highlights of the discussion. His knowledge of chocolate was impressive to say the least! His first question from the audience was "Why do people like chocolate?" To paraphrase, Gordon explained that chocolate has an addictive mouthfeel due to the texture of the cocoa butter and it's tendency to melt in your mouth. Like chili peppers, chocolate affects the endorphin levels in the brain making us feel good while we eat it. This may also be why people enjoy spicy chocolate!

Clay Gordon, author of Discover Chocolate
Image from http://www.thechocolatelife.com/

          Is white chocolate actually chocolate? According to Clay Gordon, white chocolate contains cocoa butter, sugar, and milk but no cocoa powder. Erin glanced at me in disbelief and then whispered that she didn't like white chocolate anyway. ;-) The next question was about Belgian chocolate. Is it actually a superior type of chocolate? Turns out that Belgian chocolate was campaigned throughout the U.S. to be associated with quality and is not necessarily the best. Americans like Belgian chocolate because it is light and sweet. Mr. Gordon shared his story of why, if asked, he would say that Chilmark chocolate is the best chocolate there is. "Chocolate is the only gormet food that we start eating as children." He points out that we "form strong emotional ties." As a boy his favorite aunt would take him to Chilmark chocolate in Martha's Vineyard, giving him a fond memory to associate with the taste of this particular chocolate.

           The cocoa plant was again discussed and Gordon described cacao plantations as "mystical, magical places." He reiterated a similar statement that Art Pollard made about plantaintion workers having a very tough job. The genetics of the cacao plant ulitimately determine the quality of the chocolate that is produced and farmers can be persuaded by chocolatiers to produce the highest quality. When asked why chocolate is not made in the same place where the cacao plants are grown, Gordon said that these places do not have ubiquitous refridgeration and the temperature is too hot and humid. The cocoa beans travel thousands of miles to the places where they will be made into actual chocolate.
          I will leave you with some information that is useful to any chocolate lover. According to Gordon, store dark chocolate at room temperature and dairy chocolate below 68 degrees Farenheit. Avoid changes in temperature, for example going from very warm to cold or any condition that could cause condensation to form on the chocolate. Wrap chocolate in a paper towel in serving size pieces in ziplock bags to freeze. If chocolate has become sandy or gritty this is an indication that the chocolate has gone bad! I never knew there was so much to chocolate; for as long winded as this blog is I still didn't cover it all!

Thank you for joining me on my chocolate adventure, and I encourage everyone to try something new! Who knows--curry flavored chocolate might be your new favorite!

Green Eggs and No Ham

Sunday morning is the best time for making breakfast. I bought a cookbook based entirely on breakfast, another Taste of Home...I love how they have a color photo of the recipes so you know exactly what to expect. Like IHOP menus where you can just point to the picture instead of having to actually say "I'll have the Rootie Tootie Fresh N' Fruity." Don't worry, I've graduated to some photo free cookbooks. :-) But I digress...

           My sunday morning meals started out as one would expect: bacon, eggs, pancakes, even crepes and a quiche once. Josh, my boyfriend, doesn't share my enthusiasm for eating food as soon as you wake up. He helps though, and I usually ask him to fry the bacon because I know he absolutely adores cured meat. My breakfasts have been bacon free since the vegetarian transition. I think bacon will be one of the foods I miss the most because it is just so damn delicious!

          So Josh and I awoke at the early hour of 1:00 p.m. on Sunday and I immediately got to work prepping our breakfast. I asked him if he wanted me to make him the pesto eggs again; he smiled, nodded and said "Yes, I would love some more green eggs." Take THAT Sam I Am! I keep a jar of premade pesto in my fridge because it's easy to add to leftover pasta, and well I just love pesto. For those of you who are not familiar, pesto is a sauce made from finely chopped fresh basil, minced garlic, parmesan or romano cheese, olive oil and pine-nuts.

          For the eggs I sautee some diced onion, garlic, and sliced white mushrooms in a bit of olive oil. While this is heating through I chop up some tomato and grate some fresh parmesan cheese. Freshly grated cheese, in my opinion, has a much nicer flavor and texture; especially when it comes to parmesan. Once the mushrooms and onions are fully cooked I add in about a tablespoon of the pesto sauce and stir it around until everything is evenly coated. This is your omelette filling-unless you have crappy frying pans like I do and your eggs stick forcing your omlette to be reduced to mere scrambled eggs. Omellete or scrambled eggs, either one will work...just fold in the filling or layer it on top, sprinkle with the tomatoes and parmesan, salt and pepper to taste, and viola!

          I forgot to mention, before any of this began I dumped all of my vegetable leavin's into a pot, filled it with water, brought it to a boil and let it simmer while I worked on breakfast. What's a vegetable leavin' you ask? I'll tell you. Whenever I chop veggies I take the bits I would throw away, like the ends of carrots, tops of bell peppers, or stems of mushrooms and put them all in a plastic bag in the fridge. Once I've accumulated a good amount I have enough to make my own veggie stock! This is one of those things I never imagined myself doing, but I can't believe how easy it is. It's also a great way to get the most out of your produce.

          To the veggie bits I added a clove of minced garlic, parsley stems, and some fresh dill. It just depends on what types of herbs you have available, it gives each pot a different flavor. I've also added things like bay leaves, fresh basil, and fresh thyme. Once I've strained the liquid from the vegetables and let it cool a bit Josh and I taste it by the spoonful each time I add a bit of kosher salt. I add the salt until the flavor is just right and then it gets put into a container, labeled with the date, and either refridgerated or frozen. It's a great money saver for a poor college student such as myself because I don't have to buy the cans of stock. I can put this money towards more important things, such as my internet bill for my laptop on which I write my blogs!

Putting 'Veggie Leavin's' to good use.

Are You Nuts??

Right now I’m chowing down on a Broccoli-coleslaw Stir Fry. It’s pretty tasty! I added some peanut butter, fresh ginger-root and soy sauce. By the way, I was absolutely thrilled that there was something other than a slice of bread that I could put peanut butter on! Who knew it went so well with broccoli and tofu? I got the idea from my Taste of Home cookbook; I didn’t follow it exactly and now I just try and guess how much of what to put in when I make it.


             Another good reason for the peanut butter: nuts are an important part of the vegetarian diet because they are a good source of healthy fats as well as protein. Yes, percentage wise it has more fat than protein, but this is a good kind of fat! I remember a very confusing encounter with my Medical Nutrition Therapy teacher where she scolded me for putting walnuts on the salad in the menu I had created. “Nuts are just fat!” she insisted. She must be from the generation that thought fat was the enemy and must be avoided at all costs. My generation thought carbs were the enemy! I suppose my children will believe that protein is making us all fat!

So why are nuts so good for you? The fat in nuts is unsaturated (unlike the fat found in meat which is saturated), namely mono-unsaturated, and this is good for lowering your LDL cholesterol (this is the bad kind of cholesterol). In addition, nuts contain trace minerals that the body needs including potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc, selenium, thiamin, copper and calcium. Just a handful of nuts a day will do the trick, and it doesn’t hurt to broaden your horizons and eat something other than peanuts. Try pecans, walnuts, cashews, almonds, or Brazil nuts. Each nut has its own unique nutritional profile, so variety is key.

I add walnuts or pecans to my oatmeal in the morning, or sprinkle some sliced almonds into my yogurt. I hated nuts with a passion when I was a kid, but I had a lot of fun collecting pecans from everyone’s yard when I lived on Dyess Air force Base in Abilene, TX. My friends and I would gather them up and then give them to a lady who liked to make pie with them. I couldn’t understand why anyone would want a pie made of grody pecans when you could have one filled with apples and cinnamon! Of course now I am older, a little wiser (only a little) and couldn’t imagine a world without nuts. This doesn’t count crazy people, which the world could certainly use less of.

Let us not forget seeds. Sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds just to name a few. They are also good sources of healthy fats, vitamin E, and minerals. Pine nuts! The best thing to add to pesto pasta! Just toast them a little on the stovetop in a dry pan beforehand to bring out the flavor. Do a little exploring and see if there are ways that you can add nuts and seeds to your meals, you’d be doing your heart a big favor!

A Link to the International Tree Nut Council:
http://www.nuthealth.org/

This squirrel's got the idea!
Photo by Greg's One @Flikr.com