I'm Back, BayBEE!

I fell off the face of the Earth. I'd heard a lot of people talk about it..."It's like he fell off the face of the Earth" or "I wouldn't care if she fell off the face of the Earth." So I gave it a try. Why not? It seemed to be working for many other people. Let me tell you, time really flies by when you do this. Everything and everyone you left behind may or may not be there when you get back, and what is certain to remain are the problems you tried to leave behind. On the bright side, falling off the face of the earth gives you time to reflect on your life and to shake off the dust and see that the most important things and people are still there for you once you return.

          Are you still out there readers? I may have taken a leave of absence from writing about my Adventures in Eating, but I certainly never stopped having adventures! They were (and still are) adventures I never would have pictured myself having. How spoiled have I become? How spoiled are many of the middle and upper class folks who take eating for granted? Wait...I don't want to lose your attention with preaching, because that is not what I plan to do here. I had the opportunity to take a glimpse into what it is like to not know where your next meal will come from, and to know that it is quite possible that it could happen to me.

          Calamity struck at every turn; it seemed, for me, my family and for close friends. Just as the semester came to a close my relationship ended and my apartment flooded. My dad, who supports his daughter in her endeavor to get through college, had knee surgery and then ended up with multiple pulmonary embolisms. Little did we know that our lives were about to change that Saturday evening when my dad had to be taken to the E.R. for what we feared was another heart attack. Considering his diagnosis, we are lucky he is still alive! My dad cannot return to work as long as he is on blood thinners because of the danger that he might cut himself, fall, or bruise himself. My parents expected to live off of half of his pay, but so far that hasn't been the case. The last pay check he received was for a whopping $140.

           Not only has my ability to buy groceries been diminished; for the first time in decades my parents are unable to spend liberally at the grocery store. When every penny you make goes to simply surviving, food usually takes a back-seat. Finally, a close friend of mine lost his job and eventually his home. While he looks for work that will pay him enough to cover his living expenses, he works making minimum wage in a factory setting set up through a staffing agency. He knows all too well what it's like to go without breakfast, lunch, or dinner. He applied for SNAP benefits, and boy do they make it difficult! There is usually some form of red-tape and it requires a lot of waiting around for appointments, phone calls, and wading through automated systems. He has a "job" so all SNAP is willing to offer him is $16 a month in assistance. Really? I suppose a single man, with no children, in between stable work only consumes $16 worth of food every month.

          I join him at the grocery store pretty often, and I see the quality of food he is able to afford. It has to be cheap, it has to last, and it has to fill him up. Ramen noodles of course, canned soups, milk, eggs, bread. Basic staples. Can he afford the high quality whole grain bread? Can he afford free-range eggs? Can he afford "organic" milk? Of course not! Meat is a luxury, and even fresh fruits and vegetables are a luxury. You would have to be pretty creative, a good planner, and have the time and energy to get all of the recommended servings of all of the food groups and to make sure you are getting all of your vitamins and minerals. This was a huge wake-up call for me as an aspiring Dietitian. How can we presume to tell people how and what to eat, and hope to improve the health of the community if it's cheaper and easier for folks to eat junk? For a dollar, he can eat a McDouble on his lunch break.

          Lately my mom has been experimenting with making cheap dinners, and they usually don't stretch very far between me, her and my dad. Using beans as the protein in a meal, vegetarian style, is a cheap way to fill every one up. For dinner last night we had a pot of pinto beans and onions, served with a side of fried potatoes and corn bread. Rice and pasta dishes are also prominent for those who are trying to make a hefty meal on the cheap. It reminded me of something I heard on one of those reality shows about rich people, "Poor people eat carbs." Yes, indeed they do, because they can't really afford to eat any other way.

          Not everyone I know is struggling to eat well, and to me that is a huge relief. I know people who are still able to eat at restaurants several times a week and keep their kitchens well stocked. I truly believe that everything happens for a reason and that every situation I end up in is an opportunity for me to learn something. After my experience with applying for SNAP benefits and learning that if I have NO job and am a full time student I am NOT eligible for benefits, but if I HAVE a job and am a full time student, then I AM eligible. Even the woman on the phone, working for Health and Human Services, could see how silly this is, but...it's "policy." I am beginning to understand why it is so important for Dietitians to be able to lobby the government for change. Time will tell if this slow moving, archaic dinosaur known as welfare is helping or hindering those who need it most.

While I'm typing this blog the news is reporting that Texas is #12 in the nation for obesity. Womp, womp.

'Tis the Season: For Winter Produce!

image from http://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk

       It's 2011 as you surely know! For me, this is not a year of resolutions but a year of solutions! I have decided that I want to be a part of the solution to the dietary health problems that are becoming more and more prevalent in the United States and in other countries who have adopted the "western" way of eating. While I'm in college I will learn what the administrators tell me to learn, but rest assured this will not stop me from learning about things that are important to my health and the health of the people on this Earth. Over the break I have been catching up on my reading. In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan is one of the books I'm reading now. I would honestly add it to the list of books that everyone should read. Why? Because everyone eats food! It's unavoidable, although some try to avoid eating all together...a sad state of affairs that I won't get into here.

           You may have heard the current suggestion for healthy eating--it's all over the news, magazines, books, and popular TV shows: Eat fresh, local produce and buy in season! How easy or how difficult is this for the general public? I will use myself as an example: a college student with no income other than what the government generously provides or the loans that I take out... As I have mentioned before, my grocery budget is $50 a week...and someone who does not live close to a farmer's market. The nearest farmer's market is in Lewisville--roughly a 20-30 minute drive depending on the time of day. It is not a convenient distance for me, although it is probably the best source of local fresh produce. I do the bulk of my shopping at Kroger which is a 5 minute drive from my apartment and has nicer produce than Wal-Mart in my opinion. Think about where you shop for produce. Do they have a good selection? Do the fruits and veggies seem fresh? How often do you pay attention to where that piece of produce came from? If the produce did not come from the state you live in, or even the country you live in--it is not local!

           Does this mean that you can't have fruits and vegetables unless they come from a local source? Of course you can have them! I'm not a Produce Nazi! The whole idea of buying local is to reduce the transit time that produce undergoes from the farm to your plate and to support small farmers in your area. If you would like to learn more about the impacts of buying local visit www.sustainabletable.org and search: why buy local? Knowing where your food comes from, how it is produced and most important--what is in it--is crucial in improving yours and your family's health. Trust that nature got it right with fruits and vegetables, and do not trust that food companies and food scientists know what is best for your health. This is the change I would like to see and be a part of! The end of food ignorance and blind trust! Oops...starting to get preachy...

          Let's talk about seasonality! The winter season is between December and February, and you may notice a price difference in certain produce now compared to the summer or spring months. Check the price of berries right now...outrageous! That's because they are not in season and are not as readily available. Chances are they won't be at their best when it comes to nutritional value. Now, look at the abundance of winter produce such as sweet potatoes, winter squash, winter citrus fruits, pears, and green leafy vegetables. The produce in season should be lower in price, fresher, and more abundant. As my new year's gift to you, my wonderful reader, I have made a list of common (and not so common) fruits and vegetables and when they are in season. You can find this list on the right side of my blog page--just click the link. Print it out and keep it with you when you go shopping.

image from http://www.thriftyfun.com

          My winter produce pick of the week: Brussels sprouts! I'm going to be brutally honest here...I don't like Brussels sprouts. However, I saw Emeril make a delicious looking side dish on the Planet Green channel using   fresh Brussels sprouts, walnuts, olive oil, garlic, chicken stock and lemon juice. I'll try it, and if it makes the cut it will go on my Stephfoodie's Favorite Recipes! Look out for my next winter produce pick next week!

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.