Posts filed under 'Stealth Health'
Regardless of what you think of this food fad/lifestyle change, I have learned so much from raw foodists, the likes of Roxanne Klein and the amazing folks at Cafe Gratitude in the San Francisco Bay area. Some things are too much for me and others are just "aha" food moments.
The principle behind raw food is that when food that isn’t heated above 135 degrees, it maintains healthful enzymes. I know people, and some very sick indeed, who have suddenly thrived with raw foods. Going "raw" entails a certain amount of confidence in the kitchen as there are techniques and equipment needed. It is for this reason that famous chefs like Charlie Trotter and Thomas Keller have been intrigued.
But before you dismiss the notion, try some these recipes – I consider them Raw Food for beginners. Recipes for all types of fresh nutmilks can be found in the I Am Grateful Recipe Book by the ingenious folks at Cafe Gratitude.
"Almond "Milk
In my mind, there is little reason to buy almond milk and true raw foodist do not since all almond milk is sold in asceptic packages, meaning that they are heated to an extremly high temperature before being packaged for sale. If this isn’t "almondy" enough, you can always use a little alomnd extract. Use this milk in your smoothies.
1 cup non-pareil almonds
4 cups water, divided
1 large piece cheese cloth
Soak the almonds in the water overnight. This helps to soften the nuts so that they puree more efficiently. Drain the almonds and place in a blender. Add 2 more cups of fresh water. Place lid on blender and liquify for a few minutes.
Place cheese cloth in a strainer over a large container and then pour the almond mixture through. Once the "milk" has drained through, squeeze the cheese cloth together to get the reamaining liquid out. You can use the remaing nuggets as a topping for salads. This "milk will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
December 18th, 2008
This recipe for poached pears is one of my favorites to have around the holidays. Once you make the pears, they are so versatile. You can slice them into salads or use them as an hors d’oeuvre in a cheese plate. Once you taste them, you’ll start thinking of all kinds of creative possibilities. I know Kimberly loves poached pears for dessert with really good vanilla ice cream or thick yogurt.
Make six pears of each variety and keep them in their syrup in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. You can use them in salads, wrap them in puff pastry or put them into stuffing. They are also wonderful in clafouti or even pancakes. While you can poach them peeled and whole, I think it is so much easier to slice them into quarters. This year, I didn’t have star anise or cinnamon sticks, so I used my favorite Chai blend from Teaism. Now, I want to try a Jasmine Pearl Green Tea poached pears. Get creative.
Wine Poached Pears
White Wine Syrup
3 cups dry white wine
1 cup sugar
8 strips of lemon zest
1 vanilla bean split lengthwise
6 firm but ripe Anjou pears, peeled, halved and cored
Place first 4 ingredients in a large non-reactive pot and bring to a simmer. Add the prepared pears and cover. Simmer, turning them occasionally for 8 minutes. Remove from heat and let the pears cool in the poaching liquid. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
Red Wine Syrup
3 cups dry red wine
1 cup orange juice
2/3 cup Sugar
½ cup fresh lemon juice
2 sticks of cinnamon
4 star anise
6 Bosc pears, peeled, cored and quartered.
Combine the first 5 ingredients into a very large non-reactive pot. Bring to a simmer and make sure sugar dissolves. Add the pears and simmer for 8 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool in poaching liquid.
*Both of the poaching liquids can be reduced into a fine sauce to serve over the pears. Simply remove the pears and pour into a large pan and allow to reduce over a low heat until the mixtures turns into a syrup. This can be used with the pears for a lovely dessert or use it once the pears are gone as a basting syrup for poultry.
December 15th, 2008
How about a big bowl of anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatories? Sounds tasty right? Well in this case it is. This is my favorite recipe for cranberry relish, but then again I like just about anything cranberry. I adapted this recipe right from the bag of Ocean Spray whole cranberries over 18 years ago and it just gets better with every passing year.
Cranberries are a great anti-oxidant fruit and ginger is a known anti-inflammatory. It also aids in digestion so this is a perfect, fresh, bright side to a heavy Thanksgiving meal. This year, I am adding some pomegranate seeds for an extra punch of anti-oxidants. There is no cooking involved, but you do need a food processor as a blender won’t work.
Fresh Cranberry Relish
1 (7 oz) package of organic cranberries
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. fresh mint
1 inch of fresh ginger root, peeled
1 small orange
1/8 cup fresh pomegrante seeds
Place the cranberries, sugar, mint and ginger into the work bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times until the cranberries break up. Add about a Tbsp. of zest from the orange and the juice of half of the orange, or more to taste. Remove from bowl and fold in pomegrante seeds. Adjust flavors to your liking. You can easily make this a few days ahead and keep refrigerated.
November 23rd, 2008
As we get closer to the holidays, we would like to offer up some recipes to those folks who are not hosting Thanksgiving. The holidays present a great opportunity to try some new things in the kitchen in an effort to recognize the host of the event that you are attending.
Today’s recipe (Curried Apples) is a personal favorite that I aquired from Allison Rodman of the now defunct Food Talk Catering in San Francisco. Allison was an incredibly creative, patient teacher and mentor to me.
Curried Apples
These apples are not only attractive but also serve as a wonderful refreshing bite that is sweet, sour, salty and spicy at different moments. Great with a dressed up chesse plate or as a condiment on the buffet table. This recipe is easy and requires no cooking. It does however need to marinate overnight.
4 large green apples, sliced into quarters, cored, then thinly sliced 1/4 inch
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice
2 cups pineapple juice( believe it or not canned Dole is best used here)
1 tsp. kosher salt, or more to taste
1 Tbsp. chili pepper flakes (I like to use Ancho)
3 Tbsp. lightly toasted curry powder
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds (optional)
Place the liquids into a large non-reactive dish. Whisk in the salt, chili pepper and curry powder. Add the sliced apples. Cover and refrigerate overnight. You can use the juice over again if you want to make more. It should stay fresh for about 5 days. Remove apple slices and place on a plate or in a decorative bowl. Garnishing the apples with some bright pomegranate seeds is also a nice touch.
November 21st, 2008
From the basic to the grown up, there are new companies jumping into the prepared cookie dough game, and it’s about time! The Ice Box Bakery out of Boulder has some wonderful flavors of all natural cookie dough: Cherry Pie, Ginger Spice in addition to Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter and Sugar Cookie.
Another company out of Mill Valley California is Sables which is on the gourmet side with a texture reminiscent of Pecan Sandies. I tried their Hazelnut Chocolate Chip which was like something you would serve at a fancy tea party. Both of these are found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. My guess is that Whole Foods and other gourmet outlets are where you will find these. The Immaculate Baking Co. of North Carolina offers Better Bakes, which are also all natural.
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Bittersweet Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Of course you can always make the cookie dough and freeze it in a log yourself. I find that making twice as much dough and freezing it keeps us cookie dough at all times. Here is one of my classic recipes.The wheat germ isn’t essential but it does add vitamin E, protein and fiber.
1/4 lb. butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup dark brown sugar (I prefer Wholesome Sweeteners brand)
1 egg
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup oat flour
(You can make this by grinding oat flakes in your food processor, otherwise Arrowhead Mills has a very good one)
1/8 cup wheat germ
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup nuts of your choice (I like chopped pecans)
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
Cream the butter and sugars with an electric mixer. Add the egg and vanilla. Sift together the dry ingredients and add them slowly and 1/2 cup at a time to the butter mixture. Mix until just mixed together. Fold in the nuts and chocolate chips. Place all the dough on to a large sheet of parchment paper. With floured hands, shape into a log that is about 3 inches in diameter. Roll up in parchment, then wrap in plastic wrap and then foil. Place in freezer. Slice and bake as you would any other frozen cookie dough (or eat it raw).
November 20th, 2008
I have a vegetarian son who is looking forward to Thanksgiving because he can have Quorn roast. Never mind that he has these products every week, as it is a great source of protein for him. Made from a myco-protein (meaning it’s derived from mushrooms, but they don’t taste anything like mushrooms) Quorn products are soy-free. They contain fiber and no cholesterol. We like all of their products and we are not all vegetarians, but I am trying to eat meat less and less. Their patties are far better than any other veggie burger product out there and even my little fussy eaters adore their Chik’n Nuggets. These are very versatile analog meats. They are not, however vegan.
November 18th, 2008
I had the great pleasure of hearing Ann Cooper, author of Lunch Lessons and Bitter Harvest speak this week at the 5th Annual Naturally Boulder Days Conference. She is the self proclaimed "renegade lunch lady" and indeed she is. Her mission is to change children’s relationship with food in the hopes that she can reverse some of the horrible statistics facing American youth.
Chef Ann has been working diligently with the Chez Panisse Foundation to help restructure and revitalize school lunch. She is not only inspiring but also gives a great presentation, making you wonder how we have allowed the USDA and commodity foods to get so deeply imbedded into our kid’s lives. When you realize that only 50¢ of the $1.50 that goes to school lunch at your local public school goes to the actual purchase of food, it’s no wonder that fast food chains are becoming the only option as the supplier of the food.
One of the best ideas she has (and she has quite a few) is to have lunch AFTER recess. I know my kids inhale their lunch so that they can rush out to recess. I’d like to think that they could take some time to chew but apparently lunch cannot compete with four square. Cooper also mentioned a recent study (which is on her blog) that links Gatorade consumption to an increase in kidney stones among children as young as five (scary stuff). Flavorista sends thanks to Chef Ann Cooper, a food visionary, looking out for our children!
November 6th, 2008
In an earlier post on green pumpkin seeds, I eluded to a pesto created by Tai Leavitt, of Val 21 restaurant in San Francisco. Being the queen of schmootz, I offer this up as a great dipping sauce for roasted potatoes or grilled chicken.
At Val 21, we stuffed pepita pesto into chicken breasts. We would pan fry the stuffed breast with a touch of heavy cream. Between the cooking juices, pesto and cream, we had ourselves a lovely pan sauce that was always sopped up off the plate with bread. I’ve never had it it on pasta, but think it’s a natural for a whole wheat penne.
Pepita Pesto
1 bunch of cilantro, roughly taken from the stem and cleaned.
1 bag of baby spinach (5 ounces)
2 to 3 cloves of garlic
2 cups grated aged Asaigo cheese
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 cup toated pepitas
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
heavy cream (optional for making a sauce or tossing with pasta)
Place the pepitas, spinach, cilantro and garlic into a food processor, reserving 2 Tbsp. of the pumpkin seeds to add later. With the processor running add the olive oil and the cheese through the feed tube. Remove from the bowl and fold in the remaining the pumpkins seeds. If desired, season with salt and pepper.
November 4th, 2008
My friends at The Organic Dish, here in Boulder, introduced me to red quinoa. I was familiar with the more common, pale quinoa but find this red variety far more flavorful and fluffy. It looks fantastic in grain-focused side dishes and salads.
With a protein content of 12-14%, it makes a healthy choice for vegetarians and it’s gluten free so it is safe for those with celiac disorder. I cook red quinoa in my rice cooker, which couldn’t be easier. Then I add this great grain to pilafs for a nutty flavor. All week, I’ve been adding it to soups and salads. It is really nice and adds a wonderful look (not to mention added nutrition) to your meals.
Barr’s Red Quinoa Pilaf
Here is a wonderful, healthy treatment for red quinoa, delicious served hot or at room temperature.
1/2 Cup cooked red quinoa
1/4 Cup toasted slivered almonds
1/4 Cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 Cup cooked lentils (or cooked barley, or brown rice)
Salt and pepper, to taste
drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil
Place all ingredients in a bowl and toss together and serve.
November 2nd, 2008
Green pumpkin seeds, also called pepitas, are really wonderful and versatile. When you roast them in a skillet, they pop. With a little salt and pepper, they are great to eat. A favorite at parties, I sometimes add spices, like ground cumin and coriander, while they are roasting. Being a seed, pepitas contain lots of trace minerals like copper, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus and zinc; they are also a decent source of protein and monounsaturated fats. Look for pepitas in the bulk section of any health food store and some grocery stores.
I had an amazing sous chef at Val 21 named Tai Leavitt; not only was she speedy quick on the line (a skill I never mastered) but very creative. Tai developed a Pepita Pesto* recipe for chicken which was a huge hit. Recently, this salad served as a hearty side dish at our table; very, very tasty.
Green Bean and Cherry Tomato Salad with Pepitas Dressing
1/2 cup raw green pumpkin seeds
1 small clove garlic
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. freshly ground cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro
1 lb. fresh green beans, steamed crisp tender, allow to cool slightly
(Try a bag of those handy greens beans that you can steam in your microwave)
1 Pint cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
Toast the pumpkins seeds in a large pan. They will be done once they start to make a popping noise and are lightly golden. Set aside 2 Tbsp. of seeds and place the rest in a food processor. Add all the remaining ingredients, except for the green beans and tomatoes. Process until smooth. Place the green beans and cherry tomatoes into a large bowl. Pour the dressing on top. Toss well, garnish with reserved pumpkin seeds and serve.
*Pepita Pesto will be featured in a future post.
October 27th, 2008
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