Be honest with yourself

I recently started seeing a new GP because I thought it was time for a physical again (it had been a few years). We talked about my digestion problems and she surprised me by saying that nearly 80% of her patients have digestive issues. That surprised me. Really, that many people? If so many of us have issues, why? What could be the cause?

I have spent a lot of time thinking about this since she told me that. What are we doing, or not doing, to cause our collective digestive problems? What could be to blame? Are we all too stressed out? Likely. Are we taking too many medications that can cause issues? Probably. Are we not eating right? That’s probably the most likely. When I look at the lunches of the people I work with, I see that is the most probable cause. All the highly processed and “fake” food that they are eating cannot possibly help their digestion, only hinder it.

So they run to the doctor and get prescriptions for this and that to mask their symptoms. While I am certain that this particular doctor I’m seeing is more interested in solving the underlining problem than throwing drugs at her patients, most doctors will do just that: throw a Rx at them and hope they feel better, never addressing the cause.

But is that “health care”? Not really. It’s more “sick care”. Health care should really be about returning to health, not masking symptoms with pharmaceuticals. Health care really means looking at the cause of the dis-ease and attempting to bring the body back to its natural state: health. “Health care” should mean being honest about what needs to change in order to regain health.

So, if you’re not feeling well, what are you going to change to get back to health?

For me personally, I have to be honest about the fact that starchy carbohydrates cause me dis-ease. This is why I do best on a low carb diet. It also is what naturally brings me down to a healthier weight. When I eat too many carbs, I cause an inflammatory response which makes my joints hurt and drives my weight up. This is likely true for most of us, actually, but for me, my digestive system really feels it when I eat more than a little bit of foods that are starchy. I simply have to be honest about my condition. I have to accept that this is the way it is, and change my eating habits so that I can more easily lose weight and feel better. Sometimes I am not honest with myself and give in to the thinking that I can get away with eating what I want (like during the holidays!). But then my stomach reminds me that this is a load of crap. And I resolve, again, to get back on the wagon.  Like now.

It's nearly time to make our New Year’s resolutions. I’ve made mine. What are yours? How about making some health goals? How about being honest and finally tackling your health issues? Maybe it’s your heart, or maybe it’s your joints, your brain (depression, anxiety), your energy level, your sleep, that are suffering. Maybe it’s your digestion, too. (If so, apparently you’ve got a lot of company.) Let’s tackle it together! Stay tuned and together we’ll look for ways to improve it.

Wishing you the best of health in 2019.

Harissa - what is it and what to do with it?

Harissa is something that rarely comes up in recipes so it’s not surprising that many people have never heard of it. If you are a lover of spicy things, you should give this a try.

What is it?

It's a chili pepper paste, basically. The main ingredients of which are roasted red peppers, Baklouti pepper, serrano peppers or other hot chili peppers, spices and herbs such as garlic paste, coriander seed, saffron, rose or caraway, as well as some olive oil for preservation. It is most often associated with Tunisian, Libyan, Algerian, Moroccan and Syrian cuisine.

The paste, as you can imagine, since it contains peppers, can be searing hot or just a little tingly; made tangy with lemon or vinegar, or smoky; it can be loose like a salsa or a thick chunky paste.

In other words, as with most condiments, recipes vary, depending on the region from which they come.

You can make your own by roasting peppers and blending with spices and olive oil, or just buy a jar, trying various ones until you find the one you like best. If you end up with one that’s a tad too spicy, you can always add yogurt to tone it down.  The acid acts as a great neutralizer for things spicy. Keep that in mind next time your mouth is on fire!

These are quite good.

So, harissa is versatile as a condiment, kind of like ketchup and sriracha and, like both of those, it’s great with eggs. It’s also good with poached salmon, or grilled chicken, lamb or beef kebabs.

You can smear it on a burger, mix it with aioli and use it as a dip, add a spoonful to some mayo for sandwiches or add it to Ranch as a salad dressing. Add some to the ground meat in your next meatloaf to kick it up a notch.

You can mix it with labne (a Persian cheese/yogurt) or puree it with crumbled feta cheese, fresh herbs, lemon and olive oil as a dip or spread. Olives work well with harissa’s briny heat and so the  dip in this link combines them with carrots to make a rich spread for celery sticks or pita bread, or perhaps on a sandwich.

If you like food with a little heat and you haven’t heard of harissa, I would give it a try.

Lemon Pepper Yogurt Chicken Kebobs

I have a thing for dry chicken - I hate it! Which is why I'm always looking for ways to keep it moist. I like to seal in moisture by baking chicken in a covered casserole dish, or wrapping it in foil before grilling it, or marinating it in yogurt. The acid from the dairy helps tenderize the meat, keeping it moist and juicy. I marinate the chicken all day long, but 4 hours is minimum.

Making kebobs is a great way to cook the chicken quickly, since you're grilling smaller chunks of it rather than a whole breast, so it's the perfect thing to make during the week when you're busy and short on time.

I like this recipe because it combines the fresh flavors of lemon, yogurt and chicken and makes for a light lunch or dinner. I’ve made it several times, serving it with green beans and maybe the occasional steamed potato (which I would roughly mash on my plate with butter and salt. The lazy way to "mashed potatoes"). The lemon yogurt sauce that's served with these kebobs is delicious over the potato and veggies, too. You could also make a little orzo salad to serve with it.

A glass of Chardonnay, Chablis or Viognier would be a nice accompaniment. To make it dinner-party worthy, I'd start off the meal with a mixed green salad and end it with a good quality lemon sorbet or some lemon or pistachio macaroons. Nothing too difficult or tedious to prepare, but would still make a lovely summertime/warm weather meal with friends of family.

Now, on to the recipe:

Marinated Chicken Kebobs with Lemon Pepper Yogurt Sauce

Ingredients:
2 cups extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 3 lemons
2 Tbsp chopped garlic
3/4 Tbsp each fresh rosemary leaves and thyme leaves
6 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, cut into large cubes
Salt and pepper to taste
Bamboo skewers

Sauce:
2 cups yogurt (or you could use Greek yogurt and forego the sour cream)
4 Tbsp sour cream
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
Zest of 2 lemons
Juice of 1 lemon
2 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp black pepper
2 tsp sald
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint (optional)

Directions:
1. For the kebobs: in a plastic bag, combine olive oil, lemon, garlic, rosemary and thyme. Add chicken, toss well to coat evenly, and refrigerate overnight.
2. For the sauce: combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
3. Remove chicken from marinade and season well with salt & pepper. Grill chicken for 5 minutes on each side, until golden brown and juices run clear when pricked with the end of a skewer. Thread cooked pieces of chicken onto each skewer and serve with the Lemon Pepper Yogurt Sauce.

Makes about 20 kebobs (serves 10).

French Lentil Salad with Feta, Cranberries and Walnuts

French green le Puy lentils

Although I recently posted a lentil salad recipe, I have yet another one for you.

I very seldomly purchase the little le Puy, or French green, lentils. They aren't everywhere. So I usually buy the common brownish green ones when I’m making my German lentil recipe with sausages or a lentil and vegetable soup, or I get the yellow or red Dal lentils from the Indian grocer when I’m making Indian food or pureed lentils. But I recently saw them at Cost Plus World Market and decided to get them again.

So what’s the big deal about le Puy lentils? Well, they come from the Puy region in central France and are a bit more durable than regular green or brown lentils and therefore hold up well in salads. They are smaller and a lovelier shade of green. They aren’t everywhere, so when you find them, grab a bag.

On the back of this package of French lentils was a recipe for a salad, and while most recipes on the backs of boxes or packages rarely do anything for me (I read somewhere once that most of these recipes are never tested, so it’s no wonder!), I was intrigued by this one. I think I have a pretty good sense of what works when I read a list of ingredients. Fortunately, since my kitchen’s fairly well stocked, I had nearly all of the ingredients anyway, so I thought, what the heck?! Let’s try it.

Ingredients:

1 cup French le Puy lentils, picked through and rinsed well

2 cups water

1/4 cup red onion, diced
1 bay leaf

4 cups spinach, arugula or any type of greens

1/2 cup crumbled Feta

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

1/4 cup fresh basil, sliced thin (I only had dried basil so I added it to the dressing instead, but fresh would add a whole ‘nother dimension to this salad, so I advise going fresh).

Dressing:

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tsp honey

2 tsp Dijon mustard

2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp salt, or to taste

1/2 tsp ground black pepper, or to taste

Directions:

Place lentils in a 2-qt heavy saucepan with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low, add the onions and bay leaf, and simmer uncovered until lentils are just tender, about 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Be careful not to overcook. Strain well and place in a big salad bowl to cool. While lentils are cooking, make the dressing. Whisk everything together, while slowly drizzling in the olive oil, season with salt and pepper.

When the lentils are cool, toss them with the dressing and add the greens. Plate and garnish with feta, cranberries, walnuts and basil. Serves 4, 1-1/4 cup servings.

Mexican Corn Salad

I’ve never been a really big fan of corn, but every now and again, especially in the summer, I am reminded of how good an ear can be, slathered in butter with a sprinkling of salt. This year’s thing, when presented with an ear of corn, was to make a seasoning mix of garlic powder, salt, chipotle pepper and chili powder that I’d sprinkle on to my corn cob before diving in. So yummy! Highly recommend that.

But I digress....

If you’ve followed me or know me, you know I am a HUGE salad lover and summer is obviously the ideal time to eat them. Living in California where the weather is ideal most of the year, I can really enjoy salads almost year-round. So when I came across this recipe for Mexican Street Corn Salad in my Food Lab cookbook not long ago, I decided it was different enough that, despite containing corn, I wanted to try it. It was delicious! I think it would make a fine salad to bring along on picnics and to potlucks where you need to bring something to impress. People are gonna like this. I would eat it along with a steak or grilled chicken for a nice summer BBQ.

Be sure to roast the corn, it adds a lot of flavor. Don’t just buy canned corn! The recipe calls for skillet-roasting the corn, but I think if you’re gonna bother why not do it on the grill? Fresh corn, freshly roasted, is going to taste the best. If you’re tight on time you can also find roasted corn, frozen, that you can just thaw and add to your salad. Not quite as good, but it’ll do in a pinch. You can find this at Trader Joe’s. So you’ve now got 3 ways to roast your corn. It’s up to you.

Without further ado, on to the salad.


Mexican Street Corn Salad

2 Tbsp avocado oil
4 ears corn, shucked and kernels removed
Sea salt
2 Tbsp mayonnaise (my latest favorite is from Primal Kitchen)*
2 ounces Cotija cheese, or feta cheese, finely crumbled, or 2 oz. Pecorino Romano, grated (this is what I used)
1/2 cup finely sliced scallion greens
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1-2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp lime juice
Chili powder or red pepper flakes, to taste

Head the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the corn kernels, season to taste with salt, toss once or twice and cook without stirring, until slightly charred on the first side, about 2 minutes. Toss, stir and repeat until charred on the second side, about 2 minutes longer. Continue tossing and charring for about 10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.

(Again, you could BBQ the corn whole on a grill and then when cool, slice the kernels off.  Or, you could just thaw out a bag of the Trader Joe’s roasted corn. Either way, you want about 3 cups of kernels.)

To the cooled corn, add the remaining ingredients and toss to combine. Taste again and adjust the seasoning, with salt and more chili powder, if desired. Make sure to serve this salad at room temperature.

The End of Dry Chicken

I recently started reading “The Food Lab - Better Home Cooking through Science” by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, a James Beard Foundation winner. At nearly 1,000 pages, it’s a veritable encyclopedia. As its name implies, the author delves into the science of cooking, unravelling the mysteries of cooking. Kenji is a self-proclaimed science geek who luckily found an outlet for his nerdy tendencies at Cook’s Illustrated, where he worked in the test kitchen and got to play mad scientist with food all day long. From his experience he put together this book of what really goes on with your food once you start cooking it. It’s incredibly enlightening. If you are at all interested in the science behind cooking, this is the book for you. With its over 300 recipes, complete with explanations of why he does what he does to make the dish incredible, you cannot help but improve your cooking.

When it comes to chicken, he says we all tend to overcook it. That’s because the USDA has scared us with dire warnings to cook it long enough to kill everything that might be lurking in it. But Kenji explains that's not necessary. We’d avoid getting stuck with a bird that’s dry if we’d simply stop overcooking it. We really can allow it to reach a lower internal temperature than the 165 degrees F the USDA recommends and not die!! The result is a juicier, moister chicken devoid of bacteria. The key is to let it rest for a period of time after cooking it.

For example, rather than allowing the bird to come to 165 before we stop the cooking process, we cook it until it reaches 150 and then allow it to rest for 2.7 minutes, and we’re good. I’m not kidding. This is how scientific he gets. He really is a geek. In his book he has a whole table of how many minutes the meat needs to rest if you bring it only to 145, or 150 or 155 and explains what the chicken would be like at each of these temperatures. Most importantly, stop buying boneless, skinless breast. For moist, juicy birds, get the breast with skin and bones. Makes all the difference in the world.

“The Food Lab” explains that the most important tool to use in the kitchen or when grilling, especially when cooking meat, is an instant read thermometer. I have a probe for my oven and a regular inexpensive guage that takes a while to get to temperature, so I bought an instant-read one. Why keep guessing, when a simple tool can tell you within 4 seconds what the internal temperature of your meat is?

So last night, I used my new thermometer and made Chicken with Basil and Garlic and it was
magnificent...truly. The chicken was perfectly moist and juicy and flavored so beautifully with fresh basil and garlic.

Ingredients:

Chicken with Basil and Garlic

4 chicken breasts or thighs, with skin on and bone-in
Fresh basil leaves
3 garlic cloves, sliced
3-4 whole garlic cloves, unpeeled
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 Tbsp heavy cream
Salt and pepper

Directions:

Take your chicken and stuff the sliced garlic and a few fresh basil leaves under the skin of each piece. Set aside for now.

Start your sauce: cook a few cloves of unpeeled garlic in the chicken broth for 15 minutes. Add wine and cook 10 minutes longer. Stick a meat thermometer or your oven’s temp probe into the thickest piece and bake until the internal temperature reaches 150 degrees.

While that’s cooking return to your sauce: remove the garlic and peel it. Place garlic in food processor with fresh basil leaves and whirl. Return it to the broth/wine in the sauce pan and add cream, salt and pepper and reduce for about 10 minutes. If you like a smooth sauce, strain out the chunks of garlic and basil, or use an immersion blender to whirl it even finer. If the sauce is too thin to your liking, add a little corn starch or arrowroot powder in a little water first to dissolve it, then add to thicken the sauce, cooking it for about 10 minutes longer.

When chicken is done, cover with foil and let it rest for the requisite 2.7 minutes to ensure its safety. Plate and pour the sauce over the top of each.

Delicious with mashed potatoes, and a side of roasted vegetables with a sprinkling of good quality balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. Serve with a glass of a good quality oaky Chardonnay or my preference, Viognier. If you prefer red, choose a lighter one such as a Pinot Noir or Gamay Beaujolais.

This is a tasty, delicious, juicy dish that’s dinner party-worthy. What more could you ask for on a Sunday night?

The Lentil Salad of lentil salads

Lentils have been a staple of Middle Eastern and Indian cuisine for thousands of years. In fact, records show people have been eating them for over 6,000, maybe even 13,000 years!

They come in all sorts of colors: black, yellow, brown, green and red!

And they are incredibly healthy. Their benefits include being alkalizing (whereas meat is acidic), they contain lots of fiber, encourage heart health, lower cholesterol, improve digestive health, contain a good amount of minerals, help us maintain blood sugar balance, can help us with weight loss, and improve our immunity.

And, they’re really inexpensive!

They are also quite versatile. You must cook them, but you can eat them warm or allow them to cool and make them into salads, or puree them into dips for veggies, either of which I do during warmer months. In the cooler months, I turn them into soups.

So the other day, I was contemplating what to make and decided to make a lentil salad with lots of veggies and some feta cheese for some additional protein. While lentils are usually the one legume that they say doesn’t require soaking, I’ve seen recipes that have you do it anyway, and I do it every time, to help my digestion. Plus it helps cook them a bit faster. This shouldn’t take you much more than half an hour to prepare.

Lentil Salad

Ingredients:
Green lentils
Bacon fat or butter
1/2-1 chopped Onion (sweet, like a Vidalia)
1 Carrot
1 stalk Celery
a couple cloves Garlic
1/4 cup Red wine
1 Bay leaf
Dried basil and oregano, 1/2 tsp each
Extra virgin olive oil and acid of your choice (see below)

Toppings (as much as you want):
Feta cheese crumbles
Roasted red peppers in a jar
Walnuts
Avocado
Tomatoes, preferably cherry or grape, cut in half

Directions:
Soak 1 to 1-1/2 cups of lentils in the morning in some warm water. Let them sit out while you go to work.

In the evening, warm up some bacon fat or butter in a deep, cast iron skillet or Dutch oven. Saute chopped onions for a few minutes while you chop the celery and carrots into a nice dice. Add the carrots and celery to the onions and cook for about 8 minutes more. A little browning is good - it adds flavor. Towards the end, add 2 cloves chopped fresh garlic - don’t burn it!

Drain lentils and rinse. Add to the pot along with enough water to cover. Add a bay leaf and the dried herbs. Cook 20-25 minutes uncovered, depending on preferred level of doneness. For easier digestion cook them longer. (Frankly, al dente lentils aren’t very nice, but it’s also important not to overcook them till their mushy).

Add a little (1/4 cup) red wine towards the end. Trust me, this makes a big difference in taste. Especially good to add if you need a little more liquid.

Taste the lentils at 20 minutes and see how they are. If done to your liking, remove from heat. If not, keep cooking another 5 minutes or so. By then, hopefully most of the liquid has evaporated. If not, remove your lentils/veggies from the pan with a slotted spoon and cool in a bowl. When nearly room temperature add olive oil and either apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar or (my favorite) lemon juice, season with salt and pepper. Then add your toppings: crumbled feta, chopped roasted red pepper from a jar, chopped walnuts, diced avocado and a freshly chopped tomato.

This salad is so loaded with nutrients, it’s crazy! Toss, and enjoy!

NOTE: If you can’t eat it all and need to store the leftovers, make sure to eat at least all of the avocado, else it turns yucky brown. Everything else will store with the lentils just fine for a few days.

Lemon Artichoke Spinach Pasta

I’ve been enjoying lemons for months now, thanks to my husband’s co-worker who’s willing to share. He must have a gigantic tree in his backyard because I get 30-40 lemons at a time from him and this year alone I’ve received at least 5-6 bags from him (love you, Rick!). His tree seems to put out an endless supply.

I realize my last post was also about lemons but it seems I’m still not done talking about them.

So my story is this: my work organized a luncheon for us last week and one of the things on the menu was a pasta with chicken and mushrooms drowning in some goopy sauce. It was “meh” and didn’t finish it. But it got me in the mood for something like it that I knew I could make much tastier. So on the way home that day, I went to Trader Joe’s and purchased everything I needed for this dish I wanted to put together. I envisioned lemons and artichokes, chicken and spinach in a light sauce, all coming together in a lovely marriage of flavors.

What I bought at Trader Joe's:
Lemon Pepper Pappardelle (see photo below but get GF pasta instead if you’re gluten-free)
Crimini mushrooms
A bag of pre-washed spinach
A jar of the artichoke antipasto shown here on the right --->
A can of artichokes in water (or get the marinated kind if you prefer)
Parmesan cheese, grated
Chicken breasts *
1 lemon
Fresh thyme

You should already have these at home:
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1-2 garlic cloves or garlic powder
Butter, about 2 tsp.

I used about 1/2 of each of the items I bought, which makes about 2-3 servings.


Directions:
Start 1 pot of water to cook the pasta and another pot where you’re going to poach a chicken breast (if you didn’t buy their Lemon Chicken). While those pots of water are coming to a boil, wash and slice the mushrooms and chop the garlic. Add these to some butter you’ve melted in a sauce pan over medium heat. When the mushrooms and garlic are nearly cooked, add a few handfuls of spinach to wilt. Turn off the sauce pan and remove from the heat.

When the pots of water are boiling, add the pasta to the 1 (cook per the directions) and add the chicken to the other (it’ll cook a bit faster if you cut the chicken breast in half). Add a pinch of salt to each pot. To the chicken, I also added 1/2 lemon. I squeezed the juice into the pot and then threw in the actual lemon to the pot as well. I also added a sprig of thyme and a garlic clove to the chicken. When the water comes back to a boil, turn down the heat to simmer and poach for about 10 minutes. When cooked, remove from poaching liquid and slice the chicken.

Browning the artichokes would add another
dimension of flavor. Mmmhh...next time!

Turn the sauce pan with the ’shrooms, garlic and spinach back on. Add the pasta and chicken. Give it all a good stir until it’s good and warm. Add the artichoke hearts and a few tablespoons of the antipasto and continue stirring until just heated through. Add salt and pepper to taste. Unload onto a plate, squeeze some lemon juice over the whole thing, sprinkle on some parmesan cheese and OMG! Enjoy!

*You can either cook some raw chicken yourself or get their pre-cooked Lemon Chicken if you’re short on time. You can poach the chicken, like I did, or grill it, or just bake it. But know that that will all take a little longer than poaching it.

When life hands you lemons.....

My parents were born in Germany, where vinegar was commonly used to make salad dressings, so when they came to California in the 1950’s it was vinaigrette they were used to.

Ironically it was a German couple, a distant relative of my father’s, that introduced our family to the lemon. Living only a block from the beach, we visited the Wilhelm’s in Oceanside throughout the year, making what seemed to me as a young child like a long trek from Los Angeles to Orange County. But mostly we celebrated holidays and special occasions at their house. Being about their parents’ age, the Wilhelm’s were likely surrogate parents to my mom and dad in those early years after arriving in California.

At the Wilhelm’s in Oceanside. They are on either end
and the older couple in the middle are my
grandparents, visiting from Germany.

I’m certain that Mrs. Wilhelm cooked traditional German foods at those celebrations but I know she also took on some American traditions, as old photos recently unearthed revealed pictures of Thanksgiving turkey. Mr. Wilhelm was a cake decorator, having learned that trade in Germany. What both my dad and I remember vividly is Mrs. Wilhelm’s liberal use of lemons. He recalls finding her salads so refreshing that he became a huge fan. And strangely, there must be a genetic component to this because I, somehow, took to them, too and have loved lemons for what seems like all my life.

As most southern Californians know, this part of the world has been home to the citrus industry for a long while, perhaps even since before 1804, I’ve discovered. Lemons, oranges and grapefruit have been grown, packaged, and shipped from southern California all over the country for over 200 years!

We enjoyed our share of this bounty, as well as so many other “treats” my parents had probably never known, growing up in Germany in the 30’s and 40’s. I have no idea what it’s like having to grow up with the lack of fresh food like produce. Once in this country, I can only imagine how they must have enjoyed having access to citrus and other fruits, dates, avocados and nuts. But the thing I will always associate my dad with is lemons! We put the juice on so many things, using it mostly with olive oil to make salad dressings. This is something I have blogged about before: my recommendation that you  make your own. Bottled dressings contain a lot of questionable ingredients. Poor quality oil chiefly among them. Making dressing is so easy! After following a few recipes to get the hang of it (2-3 parts oil to 1 part acid), dust off your blender and get creative. You’ll be doing your health and your wallet a big favor.

Lemons have a surprising number of health benefits, such as:

• Improving heart health
• Blood sugar regulation
• Fighting kidney stones
• It contains Vitamin C for cold prevention and an immune system boost
• Protection against anemia
• Aids in digestion
• Flushes out the system

How to use the juice:

• In your daily water. Add a few squirts of liquid stevia and some ice to make a no calorie, no sugar lemonade. I do this almost every day.
• Squeeze some lemon into iced tea
• Drizzle garlic butter with lemon over steamed veggies or fish
• Perk up dishes that need a little “something”. Sometimes just a little lemon adds an element that finishes the dish.
• To acidulate cut veggies and fruits to keep them from oxidizing (browning)
• To lighten blond hair! We used to do this when I was a kid. We’d wash my hair, then rinse some lemon juice through it, then I’d go sit in the sun to let my hair dry. Today, I’d need a LOT of lemon to take on the gray!

Me, at 3. Just got a record player for my
birthday, so I’m rockin' out!

Something different for Breakfast

Eating low carb, it’s sometimes a real challenge to find something to eat for breakfast other than eggs and protein. I don’t mind eating them once in a while, but even every other day is too often for me. I just don’t love them. I was getting pretty bored with my choices, so I started searching the internet for ideas.

I came across something I have never made before: a layered parfait kind of thing that intrigued me and looked pretty. The idea is to layer items in a mason jar at night, and then in the morning you’ve got breakfast. Since I’m a little particular (!) with what I eat, I had to improvise, taking ideas from different recipes to create something I could digest. A lot of recipes called for oatmeal, but I can’t see eating cold oatmeal, this is just too disgusting. Other recipes called for milk, which I don’t drink, or almond or coconut milk, which is fine, provided you can find one that doesn’t contain carrageenan or other thickeners/gums that can be treacherous to the sensitive digestive system. Far better to get some probiotics in to the diet anyway, so I use yogurt, or kefir, which is even better for you than yogurt. Do make sure to get plain, whole milk, cultured dairy. It’s far healthier than the low-fat variety!

So if you Google Mason Jar Parfaits, you’ll come up with thousands of images and recipes. The ideas out there are endless. People add granola, all manner of fruits, nuts, seeds, whatever. Some don’t look very healthy at all! I just had this today, and really liked it.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup plain whole milk kefir or yogurt, preferably organic
1 tsp. chia seeds
1 Tbsp sunflower seeds
1 Tbsp raw almonds
1-1/2 cups water
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup fresh organic blueberries and / or 1/2 banana
1 Tbsp sliced raw almonds (optional)
1 tsp honey, divided

Add the kefir and chia seeds to your mason jar, add a little honey and stir really well. Fit it with the screw top lid and put it in to the fridge overnight. The chia seeds will soak up the liquid (whey) from the kefir and expand, creating a sort of pudding consistency by morning. The more chia seeds you add the stiffer the pudding. Experiment to see what you like better. I like it a little smoother, so I don’t add too many.

In a separate small bowl, soak the sunflower seeds and almonds in the water and add the salt. Stir. Let sit out on the counter overnight. In the morning, drain the salt water and rinse. This soaking is the right way for people with digestive issues to eat nuts. They are much easier to digest and to absorb their nutrients if they are soaked. Plus, if you’ve never had soaked almonds before, you’re in for a treat: they are really buttery and tasty that way. Better than raw.

Add the seeds/nuts to the mason jar on top of the chia/kefir. The next layer is the fruit. Sprinkle sliced almonds on top if you want a little crunch, drizzle on some honey, screw the lid back on and take it to work.

At your desk, enjoy!

Stroganoff

Beef Stroganoff, or Stroganov, is a dish most of us are probably familiar with. It seems to me to have been particularly popular in the 1960s. Although maybe that’s just because my mom loved it and we had it fairly often when I was a kid growing up. In case you’ve never had it, Stroganoff consists of sautéed pieces of beef served in a sauce with sour cream. It originated in mid-19th Century-Russia and has become popular around the world, with variations as numerous as the countries in which it appears.

We know the name derived from the Russian diplomat and minister of the interior, Alexander Stroganov, but how it came about and why is still mystery. The recipe appeared for the first time in a classic Russian cookbook in 1871. Over time, the dish changed from containing floured beef cubes sautéed and sauced with mustard and bouillon and finished with a small amount of sour cream, to include onions and tomato sauce and sometimes mushrooms.

Traditionally in Russian, Beef Stroganoff is served with a side of crisp potato straws. In the UK and Australia the dish is usually served over pasta, and in the U.S. over egg noodles. Definitely my favorite way to eat it!

The “Bible” (Larousse Gastronomique, published in 1938) lists Stroganov as a cream, paprika, veal stock and white wine recipe. And many of the recipes I looked up for Beef Stroganoff contain most of these ingredients or a version therefore. But I make mine a little differently.

In fact, I don’t use beef at all!

Consider this meat-free version containing mushrooms instead. It makes for an excellent vegetarian lunch served with a salad. Or, serve it alongside a steak or some roasted chicken for a heartier dinner. This recipe will serve about 3-4.

Mushroom Stroganoff

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 pound mushrooms (I like using a combination of a few dried wild mushrooms such as porcini, which I reconstitute in some hot water for about 20-30 minutes, as well as mostly fresh mushrooms, preferably the darker Italian crimini mushrooms and portobellos and a few of the regular white).
1 good sized shallot, minced
2 or more garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp dry sherry or white or red wine (whatever you have open)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 - 1 cup sour cream or creme fraiche
1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped
fresh chopped parsley

Directions:
Heat the oil in a large frying pan and cook the mushrooms gently, stirring occasionally until they are softened and just cooked. If you have a cast iron pan, cook until they are a little browned. This will add some additional flavor to the final product.
Add the shallots, garlic and sherry/wine and cook for a minute more. Season well.
Stir in the sour cream (start with 3/4 cup and see if that’s enough for you) and heat to just below boiling. Stir in the thyme, then scatter the parsley on top. Serve over egg noodles, rice, pasta, or boiled new potatoes.

Wine recommendation: I would open just about any red wine to go with a Stroganoff especially something hearty, like a Zinfandel or Syrah. In fact, I think the pepperiness of a Syrah/Shiraz would be ideal.

What to Cook this Week - Brussels Sprouts

While I’m all about starting the new year off with healthy food, especially after the excesses of the holiday season, I’m not above reaching for comfort food when I need it. And, to be completely honest, I could use some this week.

Casseroles are the very definition of comfort food, aren’t they? Warm and delicious, they soothe both the soul and our stomach.

On this week’s menu is the following “casserole”, if you will. In French, it would be called a gratin, which basically means “to grate”, such as in grated cheese. But this is not what the word originally referred to. Instead it meant something more like “scrapings”. This referred to the browned crust that would develop either on top or on the bottom of the dish as it baked, which would at some point during the cooking process be stirred back into the dish.

Over time though, we’ve come to call a gratin a dish whereby a crust forms on the top of something we bake, whether this crust forms by itself, through the addition of breadcrumbs or cheese on top, or is accelerated by passing the dish under a broiler. And we don’t stir it back into the dish anymore, because, why would we?  It’s so much better left on top. It makes for a beautiful presentation, when finished cooking.

A “gratin” can also simply refer to the type of cookware in which the dish is cooked. Typically gratin baking dishes are oval (see photo, right), but they can also be round. The dish is typically of a clay-based ceramic, but can also be metal or oven-proof glass. Regardless of what sort of dish it’s in  I suggest you give this recipe a try.

Brussels Sprouts Gratin

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp butter
2/3 cup heavy cream*
2/3 cup milk*
3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese (saving 1 Tbsp for the end)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1-1/2 lbs Brussels sprouts, thinly sliced**
2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 300F.

Butter a shallow ovenproof dish.  Blend together the cream, milk, 2 Tbsp. of the cheese and seasoning.

Place a layer of Brussels sprouts in the dish and sprinkle with some of the chopped garlic. Pour over about 1/4 of the cream mixture. Continue adding another layer of sprouts, garlic and cream mix, building layers like a lasagne, ending with cream and milk and then another tablespoon of Parmesan cheese.

Cover loosely with waxed paper and bake 1-1/4 hours. Halfway through the cooking time, remove the paper and press the Brussels sprouts under the liquid in the dish. Return to the oven to brown.

* So here I would simply just use 1-1/3 cups of half and half, preferably organic.
** Sometimes you can find them already sliced, or “shaved”, ready to go, at your market.

Enjoy, and Happy New Year!