nutrition

...now browsing by tag

 
 

Book Club: Real Food

Friday, November 28th, 2008

Holidays inevitably involve a lot of talk about food, and much of it is guilt-ridden. “This is so bad for me,” “I really shouldn’t be eating this,” and on and on.

At these times I am reminded of what a different perspective I have than most people when it comes to what’s “good” and “bad” for us to eat.

Real Food by Nina Planck will likely convince you, as it did me, that bacon, butter, cream, beef, lard, and other animal fats can in fact be good for us…

…if they are organically/sustainably/humanely/locally raised and produced.

Indulgence by way of responsible consumerism. Works for me. (Yum, butter.)

Sweet Potato Stacks: Tri-color, garlic, fried sage

Monday, November 17th, 2008

Gourmet Thanksgiving in Advance (described here) Recipe #4

Quite possibly the best sweet potato recipe ever.

Tri-Color Garlic Sweet Potato Stacks

Adapted from Gourmet Magazine‘s Roasted Sweet-Potato Rounds with Garlic Oil and Fried Sage

What I changed and why: Didn’t puree garlic with oil because I didn’t want the mess; Used pre-chopped jarred garlic because I’m lazy; Used three kinds of sweet potatoes because they all looked so good in the store (the flavors melded beautifully, and the various colors looked pretty); Didn’t peel the sweet potatoes out of laziness and for added nutrition; Made the olive oil extra virgin since its flavor is paramount in the final dish; Increased cooking time since tenderness is important; Changed presentation to stacks just for fun.

1 Tbsp chopped raw garlic
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 large sweet potatoes: one garnet, one jewel, one Japanese (about 2 1/2 lb), washed and sliced into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
24 fresh sage leaves

1. Preheat oven 450°F with rack in upper third. Toss garlic with olive oil and mix thoroughly with sweet potatoes in large bowl. Spread in 1 layer in a 15-by 10-inch shallow baking pan.

2. Bake until soft, about 30 minutes.

    3. Meanwhile, heat oil in a small heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then fry sage leaves in 2 batches, stirring, until crisp, 30 seconds to 1 minute per batch. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.

    4. To serve, stack sweet potato slices, alternating colors. Place sage leaves on top.

    Recipe: Mufcake = muffin plus cupcake

    Friday, November 7th, 2008

    The dividing line between muffin and cupcake has always been a bit hazy.

    I think people prefer to say “muffin” when they’re eating it before noon and when they’re trying to be healthy.

    Once, at Perkins Restaurant in Minnesota, the “muffin of the day” was double chocolate chip with cappuccino frosting. The worst part? I ordered it.

    To be fair, my mufcakes are nutritious: whole wheat, 5 bananas and cocoa powder (full of antioxidants).

    Chocolate Banana Whole Wheat Mufcakes

    Adapted from Pinch My Salt, a San Diego-based food blog

    1/2 C. (1 stick) butter
    1 C. sugar (per usual, I used raw/unrefined)
    2 eggs
    1.5 C. mashed ripe banana (~5 bananas)
    1 t. vanilla
    1/4 C. half and half
    2 C. whole wheat pastry flour
    1 t. baking soda
    1/2 t. salt
    1/2 C cocoa powder

    1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
    2. In a large bowl, mix butter, sugar, eggs, bananas and vanilla.
    4. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder.
    5. Stir the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients.
    6. Pour this mixture into muffin tins that have been greased or lined with paper cups. (I made 6 large mufcakes and 12 mini mufcakes.)
    7. Bake for 45-60 minutes, depending on size of muffins- use a toothpick to test. Cool at least 10 minutes.

    To emphasize muffin-ness, spread with peanut butter and banana slices.

    To emphasize cupcake-ness, top with chunky coconut frosting.

    GT’s Organic Raw Kombucha: Fermented Fun

    Tuesday, November 4th, 2008

    I’ve touched on the benefits of fermented foods when I covertly added sauerkraut to Bacon Gorgonzola Dip.

    GT’s Kombucha combines my interests in nutrition and fermentation with my loves of tea and carbonation.

    The flavors photographed above are Multi-Green and Citrus. Both are mildly sweet, very bubbly and fermented in a way that you can taste, even if you’re not so sure what fermented means.

    I feel like all of those enzymes and probiotics give me energy. I feel great after I drink one. Though that could be wishful thinking after shelling out $3 for a beverage and pre-emptively justifying my purchase of another.

    No Loves It: Zenergize

    Wednesday, October 15th, 2008

    Even optimists can’t like everything.

    Case in point: Zenergize Energy+ Orange Squeeze Flavor. It tastes like an orange-colored alka seltzer, unsweetened.

    While I appreciate its lack of artificial sweeteners, a whole tablet is hard to get down. Even knowing it has many vitamins and minerals, I couldn’t help but feel that I’d rather swallow a multi-vitamin tablet. In addition, the Zenergize disc doesn’t dissolve easily, causing unfortunate clumping and odd swallows of flavor.

    I’m hoping that some of the other flavors are better, because some do sound more promising: raspberry, peach, and acai+pomegranate.

    Olives: Delicious, fatty, hopefully on the menu

    Friday, October 10th, 2008

    There are two types of people: those who eat olives and those who do not.

    It is hard for me to be friends with people who do not like them. It is very exasperating. I can understand that they are salty. I cannot understand that they should be limited due to fat content. Olive fat has to be one of the best things we can eat. I eat a lot of olives.

    These olives are from Otto. An indication of a good Italian or Mediterranean restaurant is olive quality and selection. These were good. Everything else at Otto is good, too.

    One of my dining companions for this meal does not like olives. I can’t remember her excuse reasoning. I do remember that it was very exasperating. However, I did get a slightly larger share myself.

    Book Club: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

    Tuesday, October 7th, 2008

    There are two types of people: those who read books about food and those who don’t.

    In my experience, nobody has anything against reading books about food, and the people who haven’t simply haven’t gotten around to it. And once you do read a book about food, you’re likely to read more. There’s something addictive to reading about recipes, where food comes from, and various food cultures.

    I loved Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, an autobiographical collection of stories and articles by Barbara Kingsolver, her husband, Steven L. Hopp, and her elder daughter, Camille Kingsolver.

    It’s a wonderful starting point for the food-book-novice because it’s easy to relate to and entertaining. It provides condensed summaries of agricultural and dietary issues and gives practical tips for how we can all begin to eat a bit more ecologically and nutritiously. A corresponding website provides additional information and recipes.

    My favorite character is the younger daughter, Lily, whose burgeoning chicken business reminded me (to an alarming degree) of my 9-year-old friendship-bracelet enterprise. And babysitting business. And school fundraiser coupon book sales.

    Wholesome Junk Food: If you say so

    Saturday, October 4th, 2008

    There are two kinds of people: those with a sweet tooth and those without.

    I was blessed (or cursed, depending on your perspective) with an active and attention-seeking sweet tooth. While I enjoy many savory foods, a day rarely seems complete without at least one dessert or sugary snack. Still, being nutrition-conscious, I’m not about to reach for a donut or piece of cake every day.

    Laura’s Wholesome Junk Food is sold at grocery stores and come in several mouthwatering flavors. I can vouch for the deliciousness of the oatmeal chocolate chip and lemon vanilla, and I’ve got my eye on the banana split, gingerbread, and cashew chocolate chip, which sound fabulous. The best compliment I can pay is to say that they don’t taste healthy- they really don’t.

    I love how the website and packaging are forthright with the ingredients and the nutrition information. Are they as healthy as an apple? No. But are they a better bet than desserts with hydrogenated fats like a Blizzard or a slice from the Cheesecake Factory? Yes.

    In Season: Concord grapes

    Wednesday, October 1st, 2008

    There are two types of people: those who like “purple drink,” artifically-grape-flavored-juice, and those who won’t admit it.

    I have fond memories of purple drink, even if I was only allowed to drink it a couple of times over the course of my childhood. It tastes like grapes should taste. My mom is horrified to read this, I’m sure. (She’s very far into the denial end of the purple drink enjoyment spectrum.) And unlike Dave Chapelle, I don’t think skin color is so influential here.

    Enter concord grapes, in season currently. My bunch came from a farm in upstate New York. They taste like all of the delicious, sweet goodness of purple drink, and they’re FRUIT. =Healthy! =Nutritious! There are two little pesky seeds inside each grape, which you may choose to ignore the best you can and swallow, or meticulously retrieve and set aside.

    Still, though. You can’t go wrong. Best part is? It’s always cool to admit you like concord grapes. Mom?