Month: March 2008

In search of the finest guacamole in all of Jalisco

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Mexico is turning out to be such a foodie dream come true. Sure, there are fine restaurants (we’ve eaten at a few, like La Palapa in Puerto Vallarta). But that is not where the real essence of fine cuisine lives, in my mind.

The real essence of Mexico’s food is found in much more humble places, like the pueblos and small cities that surround Banderas bay and are home to some fine people, and fine foods…..like guacamole.

Thank goodness every restaurant we visit serves guacalome, usually accompanied by shrimp ceviche, a local speciality. As we sit and lounge under a hand-made palapa watching the waves come into the bay, you can hear the clamour from the kitchen as grandma, auntie (Tia), unclo (tio) and all the cousins (primos) of a family cut, chop, grill and mince to prepare us our dinner. And it it worth the wait.

Mexican food is relatively simple, but that is what is so great. Beans, rice, homemade tortillas and some fresh-caught fish are the fundamentals of a good meal. Add some salsa verde (green), rojo (red) or mexicana (pico de gallo-ish) for flavor and vioala!

So far we’ve tasted fish and guac at every place we’ve eaten and nothing has disappointed us. I am enchanted with the reminder of how close to the food this culture truly is. The mango groves are just a few miles away (Supplying california w/most of their mangos as we learned today).

If you happen down here and want to have an awesome tour that is not your typical “gringo” tour, consider my amigo Adenis and his tour company Vip class tours. He’s a great guy and gives the best experience of “real” Mexico, topped off with a visit to his uncle’s restaurant EL GORDO in Buserias (a town North of P. Vallarta – a new favorite of mine and home to lots of Canadians and Ex-pats).

I’ve taken so many foodie and cultural pics, if only I’d have brought my cord for uploading pics. More to come later….

Adios amigos!

Ole – Mexico, here I come!!!

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My husband, Matt and I are off, for a week in Mexico starting tomorrow.

Some interesting observations I have realized about myself while on vacation:

  • It is actually EASIER for me to make good food choices when I’m away than when at home, despite being limited to the situation I am in when traveling.
  • I tend to make WORSE foods choices the few days before I go. I liken this one to stress or the pressure I put on myself to “look good” on vacation. whenever I put any sort of physical appearance stress on myself, it usually backfires. I suppose I just don’t like pressure 🙂
  • I really savor the flavors of my food and my digestion is better. At home I have a nasty habit of eating while working, or eating while doing something else. This is no good because I don’t connect with my food. IF you want to know more about connecting with your food, check out the mindful eating document in the bottom box of this blog.

Here are a few tips/tricks I do use to help me enjoy my vacation instead of being hung up on food/body image:

  • BYOS: bring your own snacks. Ialways pack an arsenal of raw nuts, flax chips, gluten-free bars, and sometimes fresh fruit (though not this time – I think I’ll find PLENTY in Mexico)
  • Bring a water bottle for the plane. Those dang airlines are really chinsey with doling out the water, so I just bring my own. I also use this bottle when out and about. It saves $$ and I’m guaranteed to have my water.
  • Bring teas. I love good tea, and I’ll feel less deprived if I have what I want.
  • Taste local flavors: spices, veggies or meat dishes that are unique to the region. I can eat bread and stuff like that anywhere – I want the good stuff. So, for this trip, I want good salsas, guacamole, carnitas, fajitas, tropical veggies, etc….YUM!!!

So, that is it! I’ll be back in a week 🙂 If I can write from the beach while I’m away, I will!

In living color

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swiss chard

I’m beginning to understand why some people are obsessed with food photography.  Food is beautiful, especially wholesome, natural food.  I look at the colors in the package of rainbow chard from Trader Joe’s (oh, when will you open in Salem???).

To see a great blog and pics about Swiss Chard, click here

I see green, red, yellow, white, and even purple.  All these magnificent colors richly blended together and without the use of red dye #40 or anything artificial.

When I see these amazing gifts from nature, I have to ask myself what the appeal is of the “white stuff”??  It is all the same color.  I know in my mind that the pretty pink flowers atop a birthday cake can only be possible when a myriad of chemicals are added to lard and sugar…so what is the appeal?

When  I created this simpe meal, Swiss chard scramble, I allowed myself to be wooed by the bounty of Mother Nature and not food by the Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing game that the junk food plays all the time.

By the way, this one is low carb AND gluten-free, if that is your thing:

Swiss Chard scramble

1/2 bag of Swiss rainbow Chard (about 1 bunch chopped)
2 tbsp water
1 small tomato, diced
4 cage-free eggs
1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
salt and pepper, to taste.

In a large skillet, on med heat, begin to  cook the water and chard, stirring frequently.


Once the chard is warmed, add the eggs and scramble for 5-7 minutes, until eggs are done.  Add the tomatoes and spices, to taste.  I also added a few pieces of left-over new potatoes to my dish, just as a variation.

Serves 2-3

swiss chard scramble

Why fiber is my friend

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I’m fired up about fiber right now, so how about a fiber focus.

What is the big deal with fiber, you ask? Well, for one, if I’m seeking foods with fiber, I’m usually in the realm of “off-white” foods, and therefore don’t have to worry as much about the junk like HFCS, hydrogenated oils and my nemesis: refined sugar. There just isn’t a lot of foods that mix fiber and junk: it’s a conflict of interest.

Also, fiber makes me feel full and helps me digest and keep things a movin’. Fiber is also like the “junk magnet” in the body: it can carry out toxins, poor quality nutrients and other “stuff” we don’t really want getting into our bodies and hanging out for too long. Eating fiber speeds up the elimination process, so our food isn’t lingering in the gut.

In an ideal world we would get like 35 grams of fiber/day, which is much MORE than what the average US adult gets (10-15g/day is typical).

So, let’s aim to boost our fiber. Research shows that just 5g/meal of fiber can help balance blood sugar, which is a major player in weight gain/loss + diabetes, etc. 5g of fiber is about 1 apple.

Here are some tips for getting in your fiber:

  • have at least 5 servings of fruit/veggies per day. Berries, apples, kiwis, sweet potatoes, and broccoli are examples of foods with at least 4g of fiber per serving.
  • Eat breads or crackers with AT MINIMUM 3g of fiber per serving. Watch the HFCS too. You’re basically left with either fresh, local whole grain breads, or breads like Ezekiel.
  • Get some beans in your diet. A cup of black beans has about 20G of fiber per serving. Garbanzo beans and lentils are high in fiber too.
  • Eat cereals with at least 5g of fiber and less than 10g of sugar. Again, you’re limited to things like Puffins, Kashi, All-bran, and stuff that doesn’t have a cartoon character on the label.
  • Even random things like Molasses, soy milk, almonds, dates, chocolate (YES! A good piece of chocolate has 2-4g of fiber/serving) are sources of fiber.

Recipe: Fiber-fest oatmeal

1/4 cup whole oats
1/2 cup hot water
1 tbsp chopped almonds
1 tbsp blackstrap molasses
cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, to taste
1/2 small apple, finely chopped
1 tbsp flaxmeal, ground

Cook the oats on the stove on low-med heat, stirring frequently. Add the apples, almonds, spices, and molasses in at the end and cook for about 1 more minute, covered. Add flaxmeal in just before serving. You don’t want to heat flaxmeal too much.

Serves 1, but it’s a hearty serving. Should keep ya full for while.

Happy eating and happy digesting!

Eating that humble pile

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chillin

Today I ate some humble pie.  No, I’m not talking about some great recipe I concocted in the kitchen.  I’m talking about facing my own ego and battle with getting off the white junk.

Let me explain:  This past Sunday I was feeling sorry for myself because I cancelled some afternoon plans.  So, obviously, the way to rectify is to make cookies for your husband and start eating all the dough, right.  Yes, that will fix it, for sure!

Well, here I am, one hand in the bowl and the other in the computer checking my email.  And there it is – my gift from above: an email from a dear friend in San Diego.  She’s talking about how grateful she is that we were friends and how proud she is of me for this whole off-white thing, and how it inspires her.

Gulp.  Whoa!  What was I doing?  Total breach of my connection to what matters to me.  Was the cookie dough REALLY going to make it easier to cope with my feelings of guilt about cancelling some plans?  hmm….nope.  So, I had to make a choice.

Thankfully I chose the ‘right’ path, which was for me, letting go of the bowl and getting moving with the business of life. I had a lovely evening of golf with my husband (my first time), and dinner with a friend.  None of that would have transpired if I would have dove into  the dough one step further.

So, thank you to my dear friend.  you know who you are. I love you!