A Simple Weeknight Dinner

I am, for all intents and purposes, a "throw-together" kind of cook. I am learning, for my other food blog, how to pre-meditate recipe magic but on most nights, family dinners are the result of throwing some ingredients together and hoping it is tasty. Don't get me wrong - I do plan out my meals weekly so I can shop but I pluck them out of my imagination and not a cookbook. I might buy spinach, eggs, strawberries and walnuts with the intention of making a salad. When it comes to flavourings, it's "a little of this, a little of that". Some nights the results are amazing, other nights, not so much. When it does go right, I usually can't replicate it. 


So, as I was finishing up with dinner the other night, the thought crossed my mind to actually write down the recipe. And now, I can share it with you. 


This recipe takes full advantage of summer produce at its peak and is very simple to prepare. The key here is really to take the time and get the size of the veggies right and to cook everything properly. Given a quick chop and cook you will have a fresh and healthy meal - let the flavours and textures transform with some slow simmering (while you do something else) and you get a bit of magic. The texture of this dish is like a ratatouille so while I envisioned it as a pasta sauce, you could eat it as a side dish or on its own with some nice crusty bread. So, just in case you were wondering what to make for dinner tonight....

Summer Vegetable Ragu
Serves 6 as a side dish or pasta sauce


2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 sweet yellow onion, finely diced
1 medium zucchini, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 bell peppers, finely diced
1/4 cup fresh chopped fennel fronds (with stem)
11/2 cup passata (strained) tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
540ml can soft white beans (such as cannellini or navy beans), rinsed well and drained
2 tbsp butter (optional...but tasty)
salt and pepper to taste




In a large sauté pan, heat olive oil on medium-high. Add onions and sauté until glossy and golden, reducing heat if the onions start to brown. Add zucchini and cook until zucchini gets a nice caramelized crust, about 10 minutes. 


Season with salt and pepper at this point then add garlic and bell peppers,  stirring constantly for about 3 minutes so the garlic doesn't brown. Add the pasta sauce and water and stir. Then add fennel and beans and stir through. 


Simmer on medium low for 5 minutes (when you are in a hurry) or for 45 minutes at a slightly lower temperature to really let flavours blend. Keep turning stove down so that the sauce never boils. To finish, season to taste and add butter (if desired) and stir through for a richer flavour.


Serve with your favourite bread or pasta (I used Tinkyada Brown Rice pasta)

A healthy summer treat...

Banana "Ice Cream"...minus all the sugar and cream

With the warm weather flirting with more regular attendance (and perhaps intending to stay for the actual summer season), I find myself needing some cool treats. And since I like "treats" to be more than an occasional treat, I like to find healthy ways of indulging in a little something.


So in a craving fit, I took one look at the very ripe bananas sitting on my counter and thought that something could be done. The resulting confection is sort of like a frozen smoothie and plenty worth sharing here. So this summer, spare the expense and additives that are usually found in frozen desserts and try this out instead!


Banana Ginger "Ice Cream"


5 very ripe bananas
1/4 - 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 355ml can of light coconut milk
2 tbsp diced candied ginger


Mix the bananas, cinnamon and coconut milk in a blender until smooth. Pour mixture into your ice cream maker and then add the ginger. Mix according to manufacturer's instructions. When finished, freeze for at least 1-2 hours before serving so it can firm up. If making ahead, let the ice cream sit at room temperature for a few minutes before serving as it freezes very hard. 


If you don't have an ice cream maker, you could try this granita style: simply pour into a 6 cup square cake pan, cover with saran wrap and freeze, either stirring every 20 minutes or making a true granita by allowing to freeze solid and then scraping with a fork to create the granita to serve.

Nutrition ABCs...G is for Gluten (Part One)

On our way through the nutrition alphabet, it's time for G...how could it not be gluten? You can hardly have a conversation (here on the diet-conscious West Coast at least!) without the word popping up. 


You know, in my education, I actually didn't learn a lot about Celiac Disease and gluten. It was only when I started my career that I became immersed in the world of the gluten free and nowadays, gluten free advocates are multiplying like rabbits. As a dietitian, it is impossible to ignore...and for the public, an important topic on which to set a few things straight. So let's start with a simple definition.


What is gluten? 


Gluten refers to a family of storage proteins, also called prolamins, that are found in wheat, barley and rye and all grains related to (and commonly contaminated with) them. Spelt and Kamut contain gluten. Most commercial oats are cross-contaminated with gluten. For this reason, wheat free and gluten free do not mean the same thing. This is an important fact to remember because many I see are confused by this. Since gluten is a protein found in wheat AND other grains, all gluten free foods will be also free of wheat but since gluten is found in other grains, a wheat free food might still have gluten. 


Is gluten bad for me? 


It depends on who you ask. Us darned health professionals have differing views on this question, based on our interpretation of the research available. In conventional medical thinking, only those of us with Celiac Disease or non-Celiac gluten sensitivity need to avoid gluten. According to best estimates, 1% of us in North America have Celiac Disease, an auto-immune disease that causes the body to attack itself when gluten is ingested. Celiac Disease is NOT an allergy to gluten. Gluten is the trigger that activates the disease process in those who have it. 

Dr Alessio Fasano, of the Cleveland Clinic, also estimates that a further 6% of us have non-Celiac gluten sensitivity, which is non-immune mediated yet still causes health concerns when gluten is consumed. Doing the quick math, that should leave 93% of us who can safely and healthfully consume gluten. However, advocates of many popular diets including the Wheat Belly Diet and the Paleo Diet, believe that all of us should stop consuming gluten. There, the research becomes a little more fuzzy. 


We'll get further into the question of whether we should avoid gluten in the next instalment...

Eat...Faster than Takeout

Like those sunny side up? Yes...eggs on pizza are actually tasty.

There isn't always a picture perfect meal on the table. Sometimes, you just have to get a relatively healthy meal on the table, fast! Today was one of those days. Luckily, I did have some good quality ingredients on hand to whip up a super fast pizza. Now, pizza can be the embodiment of terrible, lifeless food: cheap flour and grease-laden crust, gobs of cheese and way too much processed meat. In this house, pizza is another opportunity to feast on veggies (and a little cheese...). Keep the ingredients for this recipe on hand at all times and the next time you are tempted to call for takeout, save yourself time and money and make this healthier treat instead. The toppings would make a great pasta too with some adjustments. 


This pizza is gluten free and vegetarian; make it vegan using the substitutions provided.


Recipe


Fennel Pesto Pizza
Serves 4 with a side salad (or two really hungry people)


1 pkg (2 shells) Quejos Pizza Crusts (gluten free) - cheese or non-dairy
1/2 cup Sunflower Kitchen Kale and Oregano Pesto (gluten free and vegan)


1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large fennel bulb, greens trimmed, thinly sliced into half moons
1 small head of cauliflower, trimmed and thinly sliced into 1/2 cm "steaks"
1 cup shredded pizza mozzarella (or mozza-style Daiya)


Optional: 4 eggs or 1 cup mashed white beans




Quicker-than-takeout Version


Prep the pizza crusts according to package directions, don't skip the pre-crisp stage! Meanwhile, heat oil in large pan and sauté fennel until tender-crisp. Add salt and pepper to taste, remove and set aside. Add cauliflower to pan and sauté until tender-crisp, season to taste. 


When crust is crisped, spread 1/4 pesto on each shell and if desired, mashed white beans for an extra vegan protein boost.


Top pesto with cauliflower, cheese and fennel. Bake according to package directions.


If desired, gently fry eggs over easy and when pizza is done, top each serving with one egg.


Make it a bit fancier...


Toss the fennel and cauliflower with 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper to taste in a medium baking dish and roast until softened, about 30 minutes. Then add to pizza as above.


Note: Both quejos and sunflower kitchen are relatively regional treats. Substitute your best quality gluten free crust and vegan pesto!

Local, Fresh and Organic...Kauai Part 2

Living Foods Market in Kukui'ula Village

 Everywhere you turn on Kauai, you will hit some good local food. I had a couple of favourite places to shop for local food during my visit...

 Living Foods Market, in the posh Kukui'ula Village in Poipu is just over a year old. The Market is owned by San Francisco transplant, chef Jim Moffat who also owns Bar Acuda in Hanalei.


The Market is pricey (even for Hawaii) and I wouldn't necessarily recommend it for general shopping unless you need to slim down an overstuffed wallet. There healthy packaged staples at a better price. The Nut Thins I purchased there were $3 more a box than the grocery store in Lihue. 

What you do come here for is the gorgeous cafe (get Jim Moffat's cuisine on the cheap!) and for the local produce. 

As I mentioned in my previous post, grocery stores typically don't have any local produce. Not so here - they proudly display a Kaua'i Grown sign in their small produce case. 


I also picked up some incredibly delicious local honeycomb....

And some yummy tropical granola. The store also had locally baked gluten free bread!

In terms of organic shops, there are tons on the island, particularly in Kapa'a but my favourite by far was Healthy Hut in the north shore town of Kilauea. As someone who has been shopping in health food stores since before quinoa was a household word, I really appreciated the honest, friendly vibe at Healthy Hut. They have plenty of local and organic products for such a jewel box sized location and it was there that I found the BEST BABYFOOD EVER!!

Best.Babyfood.Ever.Seriously!!

I make my own baby food at home, believing that I don't serve myself canned food everyday, so why would I feed my baby canned? However, given that it was my first time traveling with E I decided to leave the mini food processor at home and give prepared food a go. 

Surprisingly, given the number of organic food shops on Kaua'i, finding organic baby food is difficult. There was one dusty jar at Long's Drugs; ditto at Vim & Vigor in Lihue, niente at Papaya's in Kapa'a and EXPIRED food at Hoku. So thank you, Healthy Hut! They had a great selection of Plum Organics food. 

Why do I love them so much? I love the blends, they don't shy away from good stuff like spinach and broccoli. The packaging is ingenious; just squeeze directly from the package onto the spoon when you are on the go. They taste delicious (I won't feed E anything I wouldn't eat myself) and they are clean, simple and organic. Now I just have to get these to Vancouver! I will be adding Plum to my Healthy Grocery List for sure.

Luscious Links

http://livingfoodskauai.com/

http://www.healthyhutkauai.com/

http://www.plumorganics.com/index.php

Aloha!

Desiree

PS...as always, the companies don't know I was featuring them...no paid ads here!

Eat...Freestyle Oatmeal Cookies

I had the overwhelming urge to bake tonight. Can't explain it really. I rarely bake except for the occasional muffin or holiday cookie. But tonight I wanted to fill my apartment with the sweet aroma of butter and sugar and I sure didn't want to have to buy any groceries. So I sifted through internet recipes for inspiration and then created this recipe based on the reality of my pantry. 


Feel like a cookie? Get baking....why "freestyle"? Because I threw these together as I do everything, haphazardly...and give you options to do the same.


Recipe. Freestyle Oatmeal Cookie


Place oven racks in top and bottom third of oven and preheat to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.


1/2 cup organic butter 
1/2 cup natural unsweetened peanut butter (or your favourite natural nut butter)
1 1/2 cup loosely packed demerara sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large organic eggs


2 1/2 cups old fashioned oats (get pure, uncontaminated oats for a "gluten free" recipe)
1 cup rice flour (brown or white)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp fine sea salt


2 1/2 cups of goodies* 
*I used half of very good bittersweet chocolate and half currants but any dried fruit, nut, chocolate combo would be awesome. Some suggestions: cranberry, pecan and milk chocolate; apricot, walnut, white chocolate; blueberry, almond, dark chocolate


In large bowl, cream together butters and sugar with wooden spoon or electric beaters then add vanilla and eggs and blend until fluffy. Then add next 4 ingredients and mix well by hand. Finally, add the goodies and mix in.


Drop by spoonful onto cookie sheets, a dozen per sheet. These will seem too loose, like they won't work...I was so sure they wouldn't but they come together really well in the oven. Place one sheet on top rack and one on the bottom rack and bake 7 minutes. Alternate rack position and bake 7 more minutes until golden brown.


Remove to a rack to cool and then bake the last 2 dozen cookies from remaining batter.


Enjoy!
Desiree 

Recipe...Artichoke and White Bean Dip

You know that feeling...you kind of want a treat. But you don't actually want a meal completely devoid of nutrition. That was me a couple of days ago. I didn't want junk food...but I didn't want a typical meal either. Voila! A sauteed veggie dip that was inspired by artichoke dip but made healthier via white beans. The beans add fibre and protein without all the extra fat. Would have been a good Super Bowl snack. Oh well, there is always 2012! 


Recipe: Artichoke and White Bean Dip


1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 red onion, diced
1 med zucchini, diced
2 med carrots, diced
1/2 cup artichoke hearts, chopped
salt and pepper


1 540 ml can of cannellini beans, mashed
1/2 cup light sour cream
1/2 cup of feta
1/2 cup of manchego 
1/8 tsp rosemary
Pinch chili flakes


1/2 cup of parmiggiano reggiano

3 roma tomatoes, diced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.


Heat oil in a medium skillet and saute red onion until softened, about 3 minutes. Add zucchini and carrots and saute until carrots are tender crisp, about 5 minutes. Add artichoke hearts and warm through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.


Turn off heat and mix in cannellini beans, sour cream, feta and manchego cheeses. Add in rosemary and chili flakes.


Spread into 9 inch pyrex pie plate or another oven proof dish. Sprinkle with parmiggiano and bake for approximately 15-20 minutes or until bubbly. Top with diced tomatoes and serve with good quality tortilla chips (I like Que Pasa).


You can definitely vary the cheeses - just be sure to include at least one sharply flavoured cheese or the dip will be pretty bland.


Enjoy!
Desiree


PS...this would count towards your UnDiet bean servings for the week. Don't say I don't look out for ya!

UnDiet...Week Three

Good Morning, UnDieters!


As of this morning, you are eating your apple a day and have sneakily trimmed some fat from your diet (and soon, your hips). Now it's time to get serious about fibre. The average Canadian only consumes about 14 grams of fibre a day, which is a far cry from the 25 to 38 grams recommended for better health. 


"Fibre, blah blah blah...." you say. "I have no issues in the 'going' department, so I must be fine when it comes to fibre" you say. 


Sure, staying "regular" is a key benefit of getting enough fibre but the benefits of roughage go way beyond logging bathroom time. Fibre ensures that the waste your body produces moves on out quickly, minimizing the amount of time you are exposed to potential toxins in your waste. That is why fibre is a key component to detoxification. 


On the way through your gut, fibre also grabs on to a few things you may not want sticking around. Like cholesterol. And fats. Fibre also helps to physically stretch your stomach and slow down the rate that your stomach empties, making you feel full and satisfied. Fibre helps delay the release of sugars into your bloodstream, helping keep blood sugars on an even keel to keep you energized and make weight loss easier to achieve.


So I am going to give you a trick to boosting your fibre intake. Get to know All Bran Buds with Psyllium. This dietitian's secret weapon delivers 11 grams of fiber in an 80 calorie, 1/3 cup serving along with a hefty dose of iron, magnesium and thiamin, a B vitamin. You can toss the buds on your favourite breakfast cereal, stir them into yogurt (or on ice cream....just not everyday please!) or hide them in a smoothie. No massive diet change required. Just a simple addition.


Check out the ingredients and nutrition facts for All Bran cereal. Looking for an organic option? Nature's Path Smart Bran is great...Gluten Free? I've got you covered...meet Enjoy Life Crunchy Flax

To your health!
Desiree


PS...I should mention that whenever I feature a product on my blog...it is NOT solicited by the company who makes the product. I will never feature any product I would not use myself and if ever a company asks me to feature something I already adore, I will be sure to be up front about it.

Eat....Monster Cookies

Yum....here are my mother-in-law's Monster Cookies...photo taken with their Canon camera...still hoping I get a new one in my stocking!

It's almost Christmas and inevitably, we will all be eating some holiday treats, including me. (Yes, Virginia, dietitians do eat holiday treats!) Unfortunately, my little one, E, appears not to tolerate wheat in his breast milk so I have been eating fewer treats than I would normally enjoy over the holiday season. In my desire to have something festive to nibble on I have been making a ridiculous amount of Rice Krispie treats, even crafting a salted caramel variety, which I promise to share in a future post. Not the most thrilling of treats but a worthy substitute when everyone else is noshing.

My mother-in-law is a serious holiday baker. We are talking mountains of baking: one Christmas I assisted her for 8 hours straight of baking. So when my mother-in-law mentioned holiday baking and I sullenly replied...."but I can't eat wheat!" she triumphantly mentioned that her monster cookie recipe doesn't contain any flour. So of course I instantly thought - I need to share these with you!

Not for the dietetically faint of heart, these really are a monster of a cookie. Lots of eggs and good old fashioned sugar and fat for your holiday pleasure. However, they are not without their merits among lesser cookies. To their credit, monster cookies are 100% whole grain, contain a reasonable amount of protein and far less sugar then some other recipes. They are wheat free and can be gluten free if you ensure all your ingredients are gluten free, such as the chocolate chips. You could make these cookies dairy free with a switch of candies. And not that I would ever advocate cookies for breakfast but in a pinch one of these could keep you going if you have to scram out of the house because you still have Christmas presents to buy 5 days before Christmas (not that I am speaking from experience...). 

Recipe: Monster-in-Law (just kidding, I totally love my mother-in-law) Cookies

My mother-in-law got this recipe a couple of decades ago from a neighbour so I don't know if there is an original source I can attribute this recipe to....my apologies!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cream together the following ingredients in a really, really big bowl:

1 1/2 cups butter or vegan butter (3/4 pound)  Go for organic butter if you can afford it...
9 eggs Ditto on the organic eggs....
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups white sugar
2 1/4 lb peanut butter (just over one kilogram)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp corn syrup
6 tsp baking soda

Then add the following to the creamed mixture and get your strongest armed family member to mix:

1/2 lb plain M&M candies
1/2 lb peanut M&M candies
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
13 1/2 cups oatmeal (yes, not a typo....that is thirteen and a half cups of regular quick cooking oats, not instant and not thick or steel cut oats)

Once mixed, drop by spoonful (about 1/4 cup batter) onto cookie sheets and bake for 12 - 15 minutes.

The recipe makes 8 - 10 dozen snack/meal sized cookies, depending on how big you make them. Perfect for bake sales, gifts and fattening up relatives you don't like too much.

Merry Christmas,
Desiree

Eat...more beans

Beans, beans, the musical fruit....yes, you know the rest! My clients get pretty sick of me talking about the health benefits of beans but they are on a very important list of the healthiest foods that you are not eating! As a vegetarian, beans are a huge part of my diet but most of us tend only to eat beans in chili, hummus or refried form. So I've come up with 5 good reasons to get to know the lowly bean...


1. Fibre: No plant food has more fibre and since the average Canadian only gets 14 grams of fibre a day - it is time to reach for beans! Depending on the bean, the average is 5 grams of fibre per half cup. Not too shabby indeed.


2. Protein: we all need to eat more plant based protein for our health, the health of the environment and the health of our wallets. Beans are a great source of protein and are easy to add to salads, soups, casseroles and more to beef up (no pun intended!) the protein. Just rinse canned beans and add them to your favourite foods.


3. Slow Carbs: the ultimate slow carb source, the carbohydrates in beans (and nutrient balance in general) ensure a nice steady rise in blood sugar for sustained energy and hormone balance.


4. Potassium: 3/4 cup of lentils, like other beans, have 540 mg of potassium. Potassium is severely lacking in our processed food world and is vital for healthy blood pressure regulation.


5. Magnesium: another "if only we ate more whole foods" nutrient, most of us don't get enough magnesium...and not because it doesn't exist in foods! Magnesium is vital for muscle contraction and heart health; magnesium also has a calming effect on the body 3/4 cup of most beans have about 50 mg of magnesium...you only need about 350 mg a day.


So here is a little comfort food for the last days of winter....my Beans and Greens Casserole! This recipe will easily serve 4-6 hungry people -


1 cup quinoa
2 cups water


Bring quinoa and water to a boil and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Turn off heat, fluff and re-cover for later.


1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1-3 cloves garlic
1/2 large sweet onion
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried rosemary
2 19oz cans of your favourite beans, such as white cannellini beans or chickpeas


1 lb of your favourite greens, such as broccoli, kale or spinach
2 tbsp soy sauce
chili flakes to taste


1 cup 1% cottage cheese
2 cups light (not low fat) aged cheddar, grated


Chop onion, garlic and greens. Drain and rinse one can of beans. Leave the other can with liquid intact.
Heat oil over medium heat, add onions and saute until glossy. Add garlic, oregano and rosemary and saute for a minute more - don't let the garlic brown.


Add both cans of beans and simmer for 10 minutes then add greens and simmer until tender. Add soy sauce and chili flakes.


Place quinoa, cottage cheese and beans mixture into a 9 x 12 baking dish and mix until thoroughly combined. Top with cheddar and bake in a 375 degree oven for 25 minutes.


To lower the sodium, use salt free beans and reduced sodium soy sauce.


Enjoy!
Desiree