Everything and nothing at all, Part 2: A recipe

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Of course the delicious food of my Big Sur weekend was an element of how it all flowed so seamlessly.    It wouldn’t be right to keep all those great recipes to myself, so here’s one for you, created by my mother in law.  It’s delicious and went really well with the chicken salad I concocted.  It also tastes especially grand when eaten during a picnic at Julia Pfeiffer beach beach on a sunny day 😉

Ingredients

  • 1 10-oz. package plain couscous
  • 3 fresh mandarins, peeled and separated into segments
  • ½ cup dried cranberries
  • ¼ cup pistachios, coarsely chopped
  • 1 bunch green onions, sliced, including some green top (about ½ cup total), divided
  • Curry Vinaigrette (recipe below)

Directions

Prepare couscous according to package directions, remove to large bowl. Stir mandarin segments, cranberries, nuts and half green onion into couscous; add half of vinaigrette and toss well. Arrange on large serving platter; Drizzle evenly with remaining vinaigrette and garnish with remaining green onion. Serve immediately.

Curry Vinaigrette: In small bowl whisk together ¼ cup mandarin juice OR white wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon curry powder, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon cayenne, 1 teaspoon honey and 1/3 cup canola or other vegetable oil.

 

 

Doing everything and nothing at all

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Sunday morning.  I’m relaxing on the couch in our Big Sur cottage enjoying the spectacular scene of rain falling at sunshine at the same time.  I feel as if I’m nestled in the Enchanged Forrest.  In the ktichen are the soft, gleeful voices of my mom and mother in law preparing coffee and admiring the view.  I am relaxed and invigorated at the same time.
I reflect upon the weekend’s activities: hiking to the beach, a picnic, shopping for jewelery, making jewelery, lunch out by the Big Sur river, laughing so hard my face hurt, scenic drives.  So much, yet I had the amazing feeling of doing nothing at all.  I suppose the word that comes to mind is effortless.

Even the food felt effortless.  I ate when hungry, ate what I desired and stopped when full.  Instead of feasting of food to fill my spirit I feasted on love, laughter and the beauty around me.  I was in Paradise.  The best part was, I did not think about anything work or school related, and thus had on underlying anxiety at all.  I was then emotionally and mentally free to be fully present an savor my experience.

In my life the way I eat often mirrors the way I life.  When it’s strained, forced or regimented, that usually means (for me) that I too am being these things.  When I feel free, so does my appetite and my desire.  I don’t resist anything, I simply go with the flow.  It’s amazing how authentic and easy that can be when I’m away from my daily life and in a beautiful place. For those who haven’t been to Big Sur, it’s like stepping into nature’s Paradise and stepping out of a world of sensory overload.  There is no cell reception.  The shops along the Highway have been there for years.  The are no billboards, Starbucks, and instead there succulent plants, artists’ workshops, organic honey at local cafe’s and a wild California coastline to tie it all together.

I’m grateful for my weekend because it helped me tap into the gratitude I have for my life.  As I allowed myself to take it all in and enjoy the experience of just ‘being’, I could then tap into a creativity within myself and a deep sense of hope and confidence for my life.

We stayed at the Ripplewood Resorts, along Hwy 1. These quaint cottages are nestled in redwoods along the Big Sur river and are a perfect place to stay if you want something more homey than a hotel but at an affordable price.  I highly recommend the experience.

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no bake cookies (AKA the 100 calorie cookies)

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our little treats cooling in the freezer

My research center has an impeccable dietician.  His  job is to do whatever it takes to ensure that research participants comply with our diet regulations for whatever study they are in.  Research diets are …well…RIGID.  Every morsel of food is accounted for, as is every calorie and nutrient.

So, because of this rigidity the dietician got an inspiration to make a simple, no-bake 100 calorie cookie that he could tack onto a research diet in order to add a treat (factoring the calories in, of course), or if a diet template needs to be bumped up by 100 calories.  One taste of these cookies and I was SOLD.  They are delicious and very decadent, and taste a lot richer than I would have expected.  So naturally I  came home to replicate them.  I’ve already gone through a batch – I brought them to my teach assistant group meeting and they were a huge hit!

I will say this.  I am not impeccable in my measuring techniques.  These are not intended for research purposes, and I know they are smaller in size than those created at the research center, yet they are delicious nonetheless.    Thus, I can’t make a 100 calorie promise.  They take all of 10 minutes to prepare and the texture is fantastic, especially right out of the freezer.  They do tweak the off-white rules a little b/c I used a low sugar hot chocolate mix, but you could simply use cocoa powder and unrefined sugar.

1.5 cubes of real butter
1/3 cup turbinado sugar (or 1/2 cup at least if you are using plain cocoa powder only)
2 packets of hot cocoa mix (not more than 15g sugar/packet)
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
1/4 cup almond milk, unsweetened
1 heaping tbsp cocoa powder
about 2 cups of quick oats (they absorb moisture better than whole)

In a large saucepan, melt the butter on med heat, all the way.  Add the sugar and stir continuously until the  two are mixed in.  Add the hot cocoa mix and cocoa powder.  Mix thoroughly – all still on low to med heat.  Add the peanut butter and ensure it is evenly mixed in.  Slowly add the oats, stirring continuously, and stop when you feel the mix is saturated (it will get crumbly if you add too much ).  Don’t add the oats too quickly.

Spoon onto a cookie sheet and freeze.  This recipe makes about 34 small cookies.  If anybody wants to do the calorie math, be my guest!

Update: Okay, I did the math, using Spark People.  The total recipe has 2841 Kcal.  This means there are 83 calories per cookie.  Nice!

impromptu southwest quiche

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southwest quiche

Partly out of necessity to use up a spaghetti squash and a boat-load of blue corn tortillas, and partly out of a burst of Sunday evening creativity, I invented a little Southwest quiche.  In full Off-White fashion I avoided any white flour and I didn’t really measure too much, so I’ll try to be as detailed as possible in the recipe.

It is actually pretty good, although spaghetti squash is REALLY high in fiber, so watch out.  It was a nice simple dinner, eaten over a bed of greens with an apple.  Before you go thinking about how saintly my diet is, I also made so no-bake chocolate oatmeal cookies (recipe maybe coming if  they turn out after being in the fridge).

SOUTHWEST QUICHE
The good stuff:  I used farm fresh eggs, so the yolks are beautiful orange (full of B vitamins and folate!).  Less cheese and no milk, so it’s not as heavy and has less dairy fat.  This dish has a lot of flavor from the salsa and spices, which helps make all the veggies tasty.

4-5 blue corn tortillas, cut in 1/2 and 1/4th (a mix)
4 eggs + 2gg whites
1/2 cup of cooked shredded spaghetti squash
1 cup of greens: I used a mix of Kale and Swiss chard
1/2 cup of roasted salsa
1/2 cup of shredded white chedder
1 tsp each: cumin, pepper, salt, paprika

In a 13×9 pan, lay down tortillas:

layered tortillas

In a bowl, beat the eggs and add spices:

mix the spices into the eggs

Add the veggies and cheese.  Mix. Add Salsa.

veggies, cheese and salsa mixed in

Finally, pour over the tortillas and cook at 350 for about 30 minutes.  Serve warm or cold.

ready to bake!

aaah…refreshing (recipe)

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rainbow on Vernal falls, Yosemite

Ahh….there is nothing like feeling the mist of a high-altitude waterfall caress your face to remind you how amazing it is to be alive.  I was fortunate to experience just that during the weekend family camping trip to Yosemite.  This trip was especially important to me because it was the first time my sister and I camped together since she graduated High School…..and without totally revealing our ages, let’s just say about a decade has past.

sisters by the campfire

While camping in general is a true source of peace and inspiration for me, the food element of camping is something different.  I get stressed about being around so much treat food, and I know my tendencies to munch mindlessly when bags of chips and homemade cookies sit open on the camp picnic table.  Soo, I make a point to bring tasty food that is healthy and interesting so as to offer up something delicious for the group but also to help me make good choices.

This time, in addition to a 17-spice chilli (which I won’t share the recipe b/c it wasn’t that good and apparently that combo of 17 spices annihilated a few people’s GI tracts), I brought a Jicima Apple salad.  This is about as refreshing as the dewy spray of a mountain waterfall on a warm spring day.  Enjoy!

1 jicima (about 6″ diameter) sliced into 2-3″ thin slices, like shoestring potatoes
1 large or two small Fuji apples, sliced just like the Jicima
Juice of 1 lemon
1tsp vinegar, pref. apple cider
1 tsp cinnamon
Chopped parsley (optional).

Very Simple:  once chopped, mix the jicima and apple together.  Mix the vinegar, cinnamon and lemon juice in  cup.  Pour onto the jicima/apple and toss immediately to evenly coat.  When serving, top with  a pinch chopped parsley.  It’s very refreshing.  This serves about 4-6 for a standard side dish or 2-3 for a larger (1 cup or so ) bowl.

Roots

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Holidays always remind me of how much family activities are rooted in tradition.  For instance, here it is Easter.  While we’ve all grown older, evolved to new levels of maturity and experience, and are living somewhat different lives than we did when I was 7, certain traditions stay the same.  They are rooted, so to speak.   Sometimes that means we all partake in the same tradition as we’ve always done, such as watching golf on TV with Dad between exits to the front yard to toss the frisbee, play with a ball or check on the bbq.  It’s something you can set time to, it never changes.  Sometimes it means the new generation takes on the tradition, such as my nephew devouring his jelly beans before 12pm.  That used to me my job, but I watch proudly as he takes the helm on O.D’ing on candy 😉

The Easter meal is also a very much rooted in tradition.  It’s always lamb.  As a kid I HATED that but now my palate is a little more savvy, so it’s a real treat.  Given that mom is Greek and Easter is a big deal in Greek culture (though it’s celebrated NEXT Sunday, which is Orthodox Easter), it was all about Greek food.  How could I grow up detesting the tray of Kalamata olives, feta and spanikopita that kept us fed until the big mid-day meal?  Who knows?  Apparently those decadent tastes don’t mix well with peeps.

I decided to take on the tradition of  contributing to the family meal this year buy whipping up my own version of Spanikopita – Off White style.  It’s a new twist on an old tradition.  Here is the recipe.  I think it’s a good one:

1 package of Whole Wheat Phyllo dough (Health food store)
1 large onion, diced
2-3 lbs of greens, chopped (I mixed kale and spinach)
2 stbsp chopped parsley
4 whole eggs, lightly beaten
8 oz part-skim ricotta
5 oz feta (I used an Israeli feta because it’s the only deli feta I could find)
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp: dill, nutmeg, pepper, oregano
2 tsp sea salt
Olive oil to baste the phyllo dough, preferrably with a basting brush

Sautee the onions in oil for 3 minutes.  Add the greens/parsley and cook down until they are soft.  Mix the pepper and lemon juice and 1tsp of sea salt with the greens in the pan while cooking.  Cook down for about 5 minutes.  In the meantime, mix the eggs, ricotta, feta, spices in a very large bowl.  Add the spices and mix.  When the greens are done cooking, mix into the egg/cheese mixture.

In a 9×12 pan, lightly coat the bottom of the pan w/oil.  Add 3 layers of phyllo dough and lightly baste with oil.  Repeat 3-4x so there are 9-12 pieces of phyllo.  Add the greens/egg mixture.  Cover with 3 layers of phyllo dough and lightly coat with oil, just as we did for the bottom layer.  The top should have about 9-10 pieces of phyllo.  Trim the edges of dough so it’s not hanging over the pan (it bakes and gets crispy and just flakes off, making a mess).

Bake on the middle rack @350 for 45 minutes, covered.  You can uncover for the last 5 min if you want a browned top.

Serve warm or cold, but always with love!

On Beginnings….

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“The Miracle Was Not that I Finished, but That I Ever Began”.

I have no idea who originally said this, but I first came across this profound statement on the back of a runner’s tee-shirt at the Luna Bar Women’s Duathalon .  To me, this quote sums up all that I could really say for myself about starting the off-white process as well as all that really matters.

Often, after coming upon my blog or learning about my professional experiences, people ask me how they can get started, or rather, is it even possible for them to get started.  I can see the desperation in their eyes because they’ve probably tried everything: Weight Watchers, calorie counting, hypnosis, swearing off certain foods…whatever.  I can also see that desperation because I too have felt it.  I know that feeling of totally ‘blowing it’ by eating out of control or binging on sweets, and feeling like all the hard work you put into your dietary changes are gone.  Boom….go back to the beginning.  It’s even worse when that feeling of blowing it is followed by the nagging voice of “you should know better”.  Aaargh, who wouldn’t feel shame if the  harpies of “woulda, shoulda, coulda” were barking in your ear.

It has taken me a long time to work on that black and white mentality.  I always feel like if I’m not being perfect with something (Food, school, money, whatever), I’m therefore a total failure.  Not much wiggle room in that mindset.    This thinking has often overwhelmed me because it made me feel like none of my changes, insights or experiences counted for anything and I was back at square one.  How exhausting and defeating!  With the help of friends, therapists, journaling, and some down and out cry-fests, I’m evolving this attitude.  The miracle is that I even started this process in the first place and that I “woke up” to wanting a better life for myself.    It’s also a miracle that I don’t give up.  As my friend S. says… “Don’t give up because you are always just 3 feet from gold”.  Even if I ‘screw up’ (which I put in quotes because it’s not real, just my mind being in judgement)or make a choice that really isn’t the best for me, I’ve not destroyed the past.  I’m not back at the beginning.  I’m right where I was and I have something to learn from whatever is happening in the moment.

In some ways perhaps many of us will always be at the beginning, so we may as well get used to it.  That is a very yogic philosophy on this whole process, but I buy into it.

If you are at the beginning, meaning that you are now just realizing that you want to change your diet in whatever way and reestablish a healthy relationship with food then CELEBRATE that awareness!  It is the most important thing.  Trust your skills and assets to help you. The same innovative thinking that helps you juggle work/family/hobbies or unclog the sink or deal with a difficult coworker can all help you deal with your own food experiences.  You come to the table with a lot of assets.  Be be patient don’t expect yourself to change overnight…it will just set you up for disappointment and that feeling like you are back at the beginning.  Start with ONE manageable change.  If you used to eat two candy bars per day and now you eat one, you have made a change.  If you switched to water instead of soda – you are a rockstar.  If you started journaling your feelings and realized that there is an ocean of emotion in there – yes!!!  This is progress!!!

It has taken me YEARS to get to where I am now, which is nowhere close to perfect, but it’s better than it was the day before.  Each day that I appreciate the fact I even decided to begin this process of Off-White living, I am a grateful woman and more likely to stay on the horse as I journey down this path.

Hail to Kale

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The beginnings of a spinach kale and veggie frittata

In preparation for my upcoming cooking class at the Davis Coop next Monday, I came upon this article about all the benefits of kale.

It got me thinking.  Why do we, as a culture, pay homage to junk like Gingerbread Latte’s, soda, overstuffed burritos and all that kind of food  when the payoff for eating things like kale and other greens is SO MUCH HIGHER!  Kale alone has been associated with reducing cancer risk (along with it’s cousin Brussel Sprouts), is high in beta-carotene, vitamin C, calcium and potassium and more.  Furthermore, and maybe most importantly for Off-White eaters, foods like kale with a bitter principle can help reduce carb cravings and promote optimal digestive movement.

If only the fruit and veggie industry had the marketing budget of McDonald’s or Dow chemical (who, but the way, also makes a lot of food products – hopefully not at the same place that make your scrubbing bubbles to clean your bathroom!).  If only our ‘optimal default’ behavior was to hanker for kale and not Krispy Kreme.  I realize that we are hard wired to want sweet/fat because at one point it acutally helped us survive to indulge when we came upon a crop of nuts or honey as we foraged.  But can you tell me about a SINGLE food from nature that is both HIGH CARB and HIGH FAT at the same time.  Even milk, which has carbs and fat, is relatively low in the carbs compared to a plate of nachos or bowl of pasta tossed with olive oil.

Part of the issue is that we don’t know how to prepare kale or other greens in a tasty way.  They don’t grown from the ground being super tasty, I’ll be honest.  But when you cook with them properly and add flavor to them they become delicious.  At some point I went from detesting such foods to actually putting raw kale in my salad.  Does the pleasure center of my brain light up the same as when I’m eating a piece of cheesecake, or even a banana…no.  It doesn’t.  But the wellness centers of my brain are on fire!  And that is what really counts.

Perhaps some of you can join me April 18th @ 6pm at the Davis Food Coop for the “I HEART KALE” class.  It’s only $25 for non-members and you’ll get a ton of food, learn a lot, and meet other like minded kale-consuming hopefuls.

 

 

A twisted treat

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mamma and baby pretzel

Today I was inspired to do something unique with my sourdough start.  For some reason pretzels came to mind.  5 minutes on the internet, and I landed on this recipe as the chosen one.  I only modified by using whole wheat flour and omitting the sugar.

It was easy enough.  Adding the flour one cup at a time was easy when the dough was moist.

But, it took a little more hand work at about cup 3.5-5.

Matt turned out to be quite the pretzel twister.  He twisted and I tossed into the boiling water.

15 min in the oven and….voila!

 

Off White eats on the cheap

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According to market research, two of the top 6 reasons American’s don’t eat healthy are cost and convenience.  I wonder if this is especially true among  those of us trying to cut refined sugars and carbs from our diets.   The cheapest and most convenient foods are refined-carb laden.

I’ve been on this Off-White quest for a few years now, and have a few ideas on how you can make off-white eating more affordable.  My ideas are somewhat unconventional because I think we’ve all heard the advice to eat seasonal produce and buy in bulk one too many times.  It’s true that these approaches help you eat well for less, but it’s not the only way.

Here are my tips for affordable and convenient approaches to  off-white eating

1. Factor in the notion that your  grocery budget is more than just food.  It’s the things you need to prepare, serve, store and clean up food.  Thus if you can save on a few of those other non-food items, you will have more money for better food.  Here’s what I do in that arena:

  • Use cloth napkins and wash cloths in the kitchen.  It’s more environmentally friendly and cheaper.  Wash them 1-2x/week whenever you do laundry.  You’ll save annually on paper products
  • Reuse your ziplock bags when  they contain dry goods like crackers or non ‘wet’ snacks.  Also, use the produce bags from the grocery store like a ziplock for things that don’t need to be fully sealed.  That sliced apple will fair just fine in the Safeway bag it was purchased in just as much as in a zipper-sealed bag
  • Buy cleaning products at the Dollar store.  My mom, a professional housekeeper of 30 yrs, swears by the Dollar store cleaning products for the basics like bleach, toilet scrubber, Windex and Ajax/Comet.  Don’t waste money on brand names for this stuff
  • Couopons!  Take 10 minutes/week to look at the coupons in the mail.  Set aside those for products you use.  Also, buy them when the store puts them on sale and set them aside.  I never, EVER buy toilet paper unless it’s on sale.  Seriously – it’s literally going to be flushed down the toilet, so I’d like as little of my $$ to go into that flush as possible
  • Invest in a portable lunch bag and a few good small food containers.  This way you can tote your lunch and reduce the temptation to buy it at work/school.  Also, small containers can hold hummus, peanut butter, salad dressing, yogurt, etc – things which, when purchased in larger quantities are cheaper per serving.

Eat more of these:

  • Oatmeal:  It’s about $.99/lb in bulk, which is about 8 servings (2 oz/serving).  Compare to the individualized serving packages, which are about $2.50-$3/box.  You just halved the price and got some good fiber, protein, wheat-free carbs, and a good vehicle to add fruit and boost your morning nutrition
  • Eggs:  They are a cheap source of protein, zinc, B-vitamins, Folate and they cook fast.  Hardboiling a few for a quick breakfast or snack.  Protein is an off-white eater’s best friend and eggs are a handy source.  Even expensive eggs are only about $.40-$.50 each
  • Beans:  Beans are so versatile: they can be the mainstay of a meal, such as a chili, or a protein/fiber dense addition to a salad, or the basis for a quick veggie taco, etc.  Canned beans can still be nutritious and can be very inexpensive if you buy on sale.
  • Tuna:  I used to hate tuna until I discovered how to make it my way: with spicy mustard, olives, and green onion.  YUM!  I love it on salads or on rye crackers such as Wasa.  I wish I could say that I buy the Coop canned tuna, but at $6/jar, I just go for the basic stuff, which is more like $1/can.  However, I take that extra money and spend it on really good fresh fish.  See….it’s about give and take.
  • Tea that you make at home or work.  Can anything be any easier to make yourself than tea?  Hardly.  It’s over $2/serving at Starbucks, which is ridiculous.  I bring a myriad of tea bags with me to work/school and then make my own when I feel like a cup.  If I spend $4/box I get 18 servings whereas that $4 only gets me 2 visits to a cafe.

Eat less of these (some of them will surprise you):

  • Granola.  It’s as expensive as it is calorie dense and often a misconception altogether.  Just cut it our or limit it’s use significantly
  • Acai-containing foods.  The exotic nature of Acai allures people but you are better off just buying things made with blueberries
  • Gluten-free bread (usually found in frozen section).  Unless you must be Gluten-free, I suggest you go wheat-free and you’ll get a better quality product at a more reasonable price.  Ezekiel bread, for instance, has more fiber and better flavor and is a bit cheaper.
  • Agave nectar and organic sugar.  I have changed my tune with agave.  It’s got too much fructose to be a healthy sweetener and it’s also extremely expensive.  Organic sugar is …..still sugar!!!  Go for turbinado, brown rice syrup, succanat.  They may be organic but they are also less refined.  However they are still sugar so don’t deceive yourself.

Okay bloggies, that sums it up this list.  What ways to you make off-white eating easy and convenient?  I’d love to get some new ideas.  Now that we spend only $80/week on food adn cleaning products I’m always open for a new suggestion!